''Tecticornia'' is a genus of

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

, salt tolerant plants largely

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as

samphire Samphire is a name given to a number of succulent salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) that tend to be associated with water bodies. * Rock samphire ('' Crithmum maritimum'') is a coastal species with white flowers that grows in Ireland, the Uni ...

s. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with three other Australian genera (''Pachycornia'', ''Sclerostegia'' and ''Tegicornia'') was incorporated into the genus.

Description

The species of ''Tecticornia'' grow as annual or perennial herbs,

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...

s or small

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s. Stems are branched, glabrous and appear jointed. The opposite

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are fleshy, glabrous, connate in the lower part and cup-like or collar-like stem-clasping, with minute (0–3 mm long) two-lobed to triangular leaf blades. The spike-shaped

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s consist of opposite

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s, mostly connate and stem-clasping, free in some species. Their blades are cup- or collar-like or deltoid to semi-circular scales. In the axil of each bract, there are three to five (rarely one or seven) flowers, free or sometimes fused to each other, to the bract, and to the inflorescence axis. The flowers are hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual. They consist of a 2-3-lobed

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...

of connate

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s, one

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

, and an ovary with two stigmas. In fruit, the perianth remains membranous or becomes crustaceous, spongy, or horny. The fruit wall (pericarp) may be membranous, fleshy, crustaceous, or woody. The seed is disc-shaped or wedge-shaped, its seed coat with smooth or reticulate, tuberculate or longitudinally ribbed surface. The seed contains the curved embryo and copious perisperm (feeding tissue).

Distribution

All species of ''Tecticornia'' are distributed in

. Only one species, ''

Tecticornia indica ''Tecticornia indica'' is a species of plant that is succulent and halophyte (salt tolerant) which grows in salt marshes on tropical areas of the world. This plant belongs to the Chenopodiaceae, which are now included in family Amaranthaceae. Th ...

'' (Syn. ''Halosarcia indica'', ''Arthrocnenum indicum'') has a wider range outside this continent along the tropical coasts of the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

to eastern and western

tropical Africa The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...

Systematics

The first publication of ''Tecticornia'' was made in 1880 by

Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For 20 years he served as director of the Ro ...

. The

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

of this genus is ''Tecticornia cinerea'' (F. Muell.) Baill, which is a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

of ''

Tecticornia australasica ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent, salt tolerant plants largely endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with three other Australian genera (''Pachycornia'', ' ...

''. ''Tecticornia'' used to be a small genus with just three species, until in 2007, the genera ''Halosarcia'', ''Pachycornia'', ''Sclerostegia'' and ''Tegicornia'' were included. Phylogenetical research of the subfamily

Salicornioideae The Salicornioideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Amaranthaceae (''sensu lato'', including the Chenopodiaceae). Important characters are succulent, often articulated stems, strongly reduced leaves, and flowers aggregated in thick, ...

revealed that the ''Tecticornia/Halosarcia/Pachycornia/Sclerostegia/Tegicornia'' lineage is a sister group of ''

Sarcocornia ''Sarcocornia'' is a formerly recognized genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Species are known commonly as samphires, glassworts, or saltworts. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that when separated from ''Salico ...

Salicornia ''Salicornia'' is a genus of succulent, halophytic (salt tolerant) flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves. ''Salicornia'' species are native to North America, Europe, central Asia, ...

''. In 2016, ''Tecticornia'' comprises about 44 species, eleven species were described recently. (distributions as given by ''Australian Plant Census'' (2008). *''

Tecticornia annelida ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent, salt tolerant plants largely endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with three other Australian genera (''Pachycornia'', ' ...

'' K.A.Sheph. & M. Lyons - in

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. *'' Tecticornia arborea'' Paul G.Wilson (Bulli Bulli) - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia arbuscula ''Tecticornia arbuscula'', the shrubby glasswort or scrubby samphire, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae, native to Australia. It is a shrub that grows to 2 metres in height, with a spreading habit. It has succulent swollen branc ...

'' (R.Br.) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson, (Shrubby Glasswort) - widely distributed in Australia (Western Australia,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

). *''

Tecticornia auriculata ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent, salt tolerant plants largely endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with three other Australian genera (''Pachycornia'', ' ...

'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *''

'' (Moq.) Paul G.Wilson - in

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. *'' Tecticornia bibenda'' K.A.Sheph. & S.J.van Leeuwen - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia bulbosa ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent plant, succulent, halophyte, salt tolerant plants largely endemic (ecology), endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with thre ...

'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & PaulG.Wilson, (Large-articled Samphire) - Inland growing plant found in Western Australia and listed as being vulnerable to

extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

. *''Tecticornia calyptrata'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - a

divaricate Divaricate means branching, or having separation or a degree of separation. The angle between branches is wide. In botany In botany, the term is often used to describe the branching pattern of plants. Plants are said to be divaricating when th ...

ly branched shrub ranging to 1 metre in height. Found across Western Australia in both sandy and clay soils,

salt lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

s, and saline claypans. *'' Tecticornia chartacea'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia cupuliformis'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in South Australia, Queensland *'' Tecticornia cymbiformis'' K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia disarticulata ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent plant, succulent, halophyte, salt tolerant plants largely endemic (ecology), endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with thre ...

'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - Western Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Tasmania. *'' Tecticornia doleiformis'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia entrichoma'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia fimbriata'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia flabelliformis'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson, (Bead Samphire or Bead Glasswort) - a woody, perennial, salt-tolerant plant growing up to 20 centimetres high in saltmarshes associated with salt lakes and saline flats and usually in

monospecific In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

patches. It is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub with fleshy branches, flowering and fruiting from January to May. ''T. flabelliformis'' is found in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia with most of the population in South Australia. It is nationally listed as being vulnerable to extinction, with state by state listings as ''vulnerable'' in South Australia, ''threatened'' in Victoria and ''poorly known'' in Western Australia. (Eyelash Samphire) *'' Tecticornia fontinalis'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in South Australia. * '' Tecticornia globulifera'' K.A.Sheph. - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia halocnemoides'' (Nees) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson, (Shrubby Samphire or Grey Glasswort) - widely distributed in Australia (Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria). * '' Tecticornia indefessa'' K.A.Sheph. - in Western Australia. *''

'' (Willd.) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - has several subspecies. Widely distributed in Australia (WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW, Vic) and along tropical coasts of

from

Southeast asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

, southeastern Africa, and Atlantic coast of

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

. *'' Tecticornia laevigata'' K.A.Sheph. - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia lepidosperma'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, South Australia. *'' Tecticornia leptoclada'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia loriae'' K.A.Sheph. & M. Lyons - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia lylei ''Tecticornia lylei'', commonly known as wiry glasswort, is a small shrub with in the family Chenopodiaceae. It occurs in Soil salinity, saline clay soils on the beds of and around the perimeter of salt lakes. The erect shrub can grow up to 1 m ...

'' (Ewart & Jean White) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales?, Victoria *'' Tecticornia medullosa'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales. *'' Tecticornia medusa'' K.A.Sheph. - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia mellarium'' K.A.Sheph. - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia moniliformis ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent, salt tolerant plants largely endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with three other Australian genera (''Pachycornia'', '' ...

'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, Victoria. *'' Tecticornia nitida'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in South Australia, Victoria *''

Tecticornia papillata ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent, salt tolerant plants largely endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with three other Australian genera (''Pachycornia'', '' ...

'' K.A.Sheph. - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia peltata ''Tecticornia'' is a genus of succulent, salt tolerant plants largely endemic to Australia. Taxa in the genus are commonly referred to as samphires. In 2007, the genus ''Halosarcia'', along with three other Australian genera (''Pachycornia'', '' ...

'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia pergranulata ''Tecticornia pergranulata'' (commonly known as the blackseed glasswort or blackseed samphire) is a succulent halophytic plant species in the family Chenopodiaceae, native to Australia. This plant is commonly tested in labs involving its C3 phot ...

'' (J.M.Black) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson, (Samphire, Blackseed Glasswort or Blackseed Samphire) - found inland across much of Australia and, less often, in coastal saline areas. *'' Tecticornia pluriflora'' (Paul G. Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in South Australia, New South Wales *'' Tecticornia pruinosa'' (Paulsen) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria. *'' Tecticornia pterygosperma'' (J.M.Black) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria *'' Tecticornia sparagosa'' K.A.Sheph. & M. Lyons - in Western Australia. *'' Tecticornia syncarpa'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria. *'' Tecticornia tenuis'' (Benth.) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. *'' Tecticornia triandra'' (F.Muell.) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. *'' Tecticornia undulata'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia. *'' Tecticornia uniflora'' (Paul G.Wilson) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson, (Mat Samphire) -

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

, with only one flower at each bract, - in Western Australia. *''

Tecticornia verrucosa ''Tecticornia verrrucosa'' is a species of plant that is succulent and halophyte (salt tolerant). This plant was a member of the Chenopodiaceae, which are now included in family Amaranthaceae. ''T. verrucosa'' was first described in 1972 by ...

'' Paul G.Wilson - in Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia.

Uses

Young twigs of ''

'' can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. In Madagascar, they are pickled in vinegar and used as a spice.

References

APC - Australian Plant Census (2008)
''Tecticornia''
CHAH. Joseph Dalton Hooker (1880). "Genera Plantarum ad exemplaria imprimis in herbariis Kewensibus", 3(1), p. 65
first description of Tecticornia
/ref> . ''Halosarcia indica'' at PROTA4U

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2710245 Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae genera Caryophyllales of Australia Halophytes