Suaeda taxifolia
Encyclopedia
Suaeda taxifolia is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family
known by the common name woolly sea-blite. It is native to the coastline of southern California
and Baja California
, where it grows in saline habitat such as salt marsh
es, beach
es, dune
s, and scrub. It is quite variable in appearance. In general, it is a shrub
or subshrub spreading or growing erect to a maximum height near 1.5 meters. It is hairless to densely hairy, and waxy in texture. It has woody lower stems and fleshy green to reddish upper stems. The succulent leaves are lance-shaped to nearly oval, measuring up to 3 centimeters in length. They vary in color from bluish to green to yellowish or reddish. There is usually a knobby bump at the base of each. Flowers occur in clusters along the stems, each cluster containing 1 to 3 flowers. Leaflike bract
s accompany the clusters. The flower has no petals and is composed of a calyx of fleshy, rounded, hairy sepal
s. The fruit is a utricle that grows within the calyx.
Amaranthaceae
The flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family, contains about 176 genera and 2,400 species.- Description :Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. Some species are succulent....
known by the common name woolly sea-blite. It is native to the coastline of southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, where it grows in saline habitat such as salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es, beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s, and scrub. It is quite variable in appearance. In general, it is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or subshrub spreading or growing erect to a maximum height near 1.5 meters. It is hairless to densely hairy, and waxy in texture. It has woody lower stems and fleshy green to reddish upper stems. The succulent leaves are lance-shaped to nearly oval, measuring up to 3 centimeters in length. They vary in color from bluish to green to yellowish or reddish. There is usually a knobby bump at the base of each. Flowers occur in clusters along the stems, each cluster containing 1 to 3 flowers. Leaflike bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s accompany the clusters. The flower has no petals and is composed of a calyx of fleshy, rounded, hairy sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s. The fruit is a utricle that grows within the calyx.