Suaeda nigra
Encyclopedia
Suaeda nigra is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family
known by the common names bush seepweed and Mojave sea-blite. It is native to much of western North America, from central Canada through the western United States, into Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat with saline and alkaline
substrates, such as desert flats, playas
, and seeps. It is mostly an inland species but is occasionally seen in coastal areas, such as estuaries
. It is a shrub
or subshrub growing from a woody base with many spreading branches, reaching up to 1.5 meters in height. The plants may grow as annuals at times. The species is genetically diverse and quite variable in appearance. It may be hairy to hairless but is usually waxy. It may be green to red to dark purple in color, sometimes almost black. The fleshy leaves are linear to lance-shaped, 1 to 3 centimeters long, and flat or cylindrical. Flowers occur in clusters along the upper stems, each cluster containing 1 to 12 flowers. Leaflike bract
s accompany the clusters. The flower has no petals and is composed of a calyx of fleshy, rounded 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 names bush seepweed and Mojave sea-blite. It is native to much of western North America, from central Canada through the western United States, into Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat with saline and alkaline
Alkali soils
Alkali, or alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH , a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate...
substrates, such as desert flats, playas
Dry lake
Dry lakes are ephemeral lakebeds, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts. Dry lakes are also referred to as alkali flats, sabkhas, playas or mud flats...
, and seeps. It is mostly an inland species but is occasionally seen in coastal areas, such as estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. 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 growing from a woody base with many spreading branches, reaching up to 1.5 meters in height. The plants may grow as annuals at times. The species is genetically diverse and quite variable in appearance. It may be hairy to hairless but is usually waxy. It may be green to red to dark purple in color, sometimes almost black. The fleshy leaves are linear to lance-shaped, 1 to 3 centimeters long, and flat or cylindrical. Flowers occur in clusters along the upper stems, each cluster containing 1 to 12 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 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.