''Chenopodium candolleanum''
(Syn. ''Rhagodia candolleana''), commonly known as seaberry saltbush, is a
shrub in the
subfamily Chenopodioideae of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it ...
(sensu lato), native to
Australia.
Description
This species forms a dense shrub up to 2 metres in height.
It shiny green leaves are thick and almost succulent, with a paler underside. These are 1 to 3 cm long and 4-12mm wide with the widest part of the leaf towards the base.
[
The flowers are small and pale and arranged in panicles, appearing between December and April (early summer to mid autumn) in the species' native range. These are followed by flattened dark-red fruits which are up to 4 mm in diameter.][
]
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described in 1840 in ''Chenopodearum Monographica Enumeratio'' by Alfred Moquin-Tandon.Chenopodium
''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...
''.[
Two subspecies are currently recognised:][
*''Chenopodium candolleanum'' subsp. ''candolleanum''
]
Distribution
The species occurs in Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.[ The subspecies ''Chenopodium candolleanum'' subsp. ''argenteum'' occurs near inland salt lakes.]
Uses
The leaves can be cooked and eaten.Aboriginal people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
are reported to have consumed the berries, despite their bitterness.[
]
References
[Susy Fuentes-Bazan, Guilhem Mansion, Thomas Borsch: Towards a species level tree of the globally diverse genus Chenopodium (Chenopodiaceae). In: ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.'' Vol. 62, No. 1, 2012, , p. 372, DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.006]
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7320074
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of South Australia
Flora of Tasmania
Flora of Victoria (Australia)
Eudicots of Western Australia
candolleanum