Biology:Salicornia pacifica
| Salicornia pacifica | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Salicornia |
| Species: | S. pacifica
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| Binomial name | |
| Salicornia pacifica Standl.
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| Synonyms | |
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Salicornia pacifica, also known as pickleweed, Pacific swampfire, or glasswort, is a species of low-growing perennial succulent halophyte in the genus Salicornia found in the Pacific coast of North America and California . It grows as erect shrubs possessing a well-developed primary central root system with few or no adventitious roots.[1][2]
Distribution
S. pacifica is native to salt marshes and alkaline soils throughout coastal California. It is occasionally found in Alaska and the East Coast. It also occurs 300 feet (100 meters) below sea level. The genus is distributed globally.[3]
Ecology
This species tends to flower between July and November.
Pickleweed is specially adapted to use saltwater as its main source of water. When the saltwater is taken up, the salt is removed and stored in specialized vacuoles in the terminal segments. As the vacuoles become full of brine, they turn red and drop off the plant, removing the salt. Although pickleweed can withstand short periods of flooding, it will die under prolonged immersion, as when the estuary mouth closes and the salt marsh floods.[3]
Pickleweed is also an important nesting habitat for migrating birds.[3] Not only that, but S. pacifica is an important food source for the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse.[4]
References
- ↑ "Salicornia pacifica". https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=42666.
- ↑ Steffen, Simone; Ball, Peter; Mucina, Ladislav; Kadereit, Gudrun (2015-01-23). "Phylogeny, biogeography and ecological diversification of Sarcocornia (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae)". Annals of Botany 115 (3): 353–368. doi:10.1093/aob/mcu260. ISSN 0305-7364. PMID 25617410. PMC 4332613. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4332613/. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Pickleweed". Nature Collective. https://thenaturecollective.org/plant-guide/details/pickleweed/.
- ↑ "Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse". San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/San_Pablo_Bay/Harvest_Mouse_Profile.html.
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