ANNUAL SEABLITE

Suaeda Maritima

Goosefoot [Amaranthaceae]

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petals

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19th Aug 2010, salt-marshes, Lytham, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

Much-branched glaucous-leaved annual 15 inches high.

5th Aug 2009, salt-marshes, St Annes on Sea, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

Grows upright in a thin spike of fleshy glaucous short leaves on salt-marshes.

5th Aug 2009, salt-marshes, St Annes on Sea, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

Only few have side-branches.

5th Aug 2009, salt-marshes, St Annes on Sea, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

The leaves are short, half-round, and pointed at the tip.

5th Aug 2009, salt-marshes, St Annes on Sea, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

Sometimes there are much shorter leaves a little like a bunch of bananas amongst fewer but longer leaves.

5th Aug 2009, salt-marshes, St Annes on Sea, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

The flowers are green (sometimes purple or red) and petal-less, nestling in small bunches nestling in the axils of leaves, looking like miniature brussel sprouts when not opened.

19th Aug 2010, salt-marshes, Lytham, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

More mature specimens are branched, taller with the leaves spread away from the stems to reveal opened flowers in the leaf axils.

19th Aug 2010, salt-marshes, Lytham, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

When not quite open, the flowers have five bulges with the short yellow anthers just protruding from the top.

19th Aug 2010, salt-marshes, Lytham, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

The five green 'petals' only partially open to reveal five anthers with cream-coloured pollen just protruding.

Some similarities to : Glasswort. From a distance Annual Seablite could be mistaken for Glasswort because it is much the same height, grows in much the same kind of places, and looks similar in that it is glaucous, and has a 'Wild West cactus' look about it (apart from the huge size difference).

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Distribution
family8Goosefoot family8Amaranthaceae

BSBI maps

Suaeda