Salicornia bigelovii
Encyclopedia
Salicornia bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family
known by the common names dwarf saltwort and dwarf glasswort. It is native to coastal areas of the eastern and southern United States, as well as southern California
and coastal Mexico. It is a plant of salt marsh
es, a halophyte
which grows in saltwater
. It is an annual herb producing an erect, branching stem which is jointed at many internodes. The fleshy green to red stem can reach about 60 centimeters in height. The leaves are usually small plates, pairs of which are fused into a band around the stem. The inflorescence
is a dense sticklike spike of flowers. Each flower is made up of a fused pocket of sepal
s enclosing the stamen
s and stigmas
; there are no petals. The fruit is a utricle containing tiny fuzzy seeds. The southern part of the species range is represented by the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatan, where it is a subdominant plant associate in the mangroves.
. The plant is up to 33% oil. The oil contains up to 79% linoleic acid
and is functionally similar to safflower oil. It can be used as a cooking oil
and a replacement for more valuable oils in chicken feed
. Domestic animals can be fed the plant as a forage
. The plant could also be a source of biofuel
.
Since the plant is a halophytic coastline species which grows in saltwater, it can be irrigated
with seawater
, making it a potential crop for landscapes that can support few other crop plants. The plants can also be watered with high-salt drainage water, such as the effluent
from farmland in California's Central Valley. Fields of the plant have been grown in wastewater from aquaculture
farms in Eritrea
and harvested for animal feed.
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 names dwarf saltwort and dwarf glasswort. It is native to coastal areas of the eastern and southern United States, as well as 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 coastal Mexico. It is a plant of 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, a halophyte
Halophyte
A halophyte is a plant that grows where it is affected by salinity in the root area or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. An example of a halophyte is the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora . Relatively few plant species are...
which grows in saltwater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
. It is an annual herb producing an erect, branching stem which is jointed at many internodes. The fleshy green to red stem can reach about 60 centimeters in height. The leaves are usually small plates, pairs of which are fused into a band around the stem. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense sticklike spike of flowers. Each flower is made up of a fused pocket of 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 enclosing the stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and stigmas
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
; there are no petals. The fruit is a utricle containing tiny fuzzy seeds. The southern part of the species range is represented by the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatan, where it is a subdominant plant associate in the mangroves.
Uses
This plant is gaining scientific attention for its potential to serve as an oil crop that can be grown in desert environments and maintained with water containing high levels of salts. It is the source of salicornia oilSalicornia oil
Salicornia oil is a pressed oil, derived from the seeds of the Salicornia bigelovii, a halophyte native to Mexico.The use of salicornia as an oil crop has been championed by researcher Carl Hodges, and was the subject of a 1991 New York Times article...
. The plant is up to 33% oil. The oil contains up to 79% linoleic acid
Linoleic acid
Linoleic acid is an unsaturated n-6 fatty acid. It is a colorless liquid at room temperature. In physiological literature, it has a lipid number of 18:2...
and is functionally similar to safflower oil. It can be used as a cooking oil
Cooking oil
Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....
and a replacement for more valuable oils in chicken feed
Chicken Feed
Chicken Feed is a 1927 short silent comedy film directed by Robert A. McGowan. It was the 66th Our Gang short subject released.-Cast:* Allen Hoskins - Farina* Jannie Hoskins - Mango* Joe Cobb - Joe* Jackie Condon - Jackie* Jay R. Smith - Jay...
. Domestic animals can be fed the plant as a forage
Forage
Forage is plant material eaten by grazing livestock.Historically the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially...
. The plant could also be a source of biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
.
Since the plant is a halophytic coastline species which grows in saltwater, it can be irrigated
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
with seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
, making it a potential crop for landscapes that can support few other crop plants. The plants can also be watered with high-salt drainage water, such as the effluent
Effluent
Effluent is an outflowing of water or gas from a natural body of water, or from a human-made structure.Effluent is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as “wastewater - treated or untreated - that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall. Generally refers...
from farmland in California's Central Valley. Fields of the plant have been grown in wastewater from aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
farms in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
and harvested for animal feed.