Chenopodium nutans

Climbing Saltbush
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Chenopodioideae
Tribe: Atripliceae
Genus: Chenopodium
Species: C. nutans
Binomial name
Chenopodium nutans
(R.Br) S.Fuentes & Borsch
Synonyms[1]
  • Einadia nutans (R.Br.) A. J. Scott
  • Rhagodia nutans R.Br.

Chenopodium nutans[1] (Syn Einadia nutans, Rhagodia nutans), known by its common name of Climbing Saltbush or Nodding Saltbush, is a climbing groundcover native to Australia.

Plants form a blanket on the surface, climbing over logs and up trees to a height of around 1 metre. Each plant grows to around one metre in diameter. The small leaves are semi-succulent, and have a distinctive arrowhead shape. They grow along long, vine-like branches spreading out form the centre of the plant. Both the leaves and the branches are of a light green colour.[2]

Flowers are inconspicuous green balls, which form on top of terminal spikes during summer. These transform into very conspicuous, tiny, bright-red berries during early autumn.

Human uses

The plant was boiled along with other species of saltbush for use as a greens substitute by early European settlers in the Adelaide region.[3] The plant is easily propagated, making it a particularly attractive and useful plant for revegetation projects. It has recently been enjoying increasing popularity as a garden plant, for its low maintenance, low water usage properties.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 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, ISSN 1055-7903, p. 372, DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.006
  2. ↑ "Plants of the Adelaide plains and hills". Library of South Australia. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Native Plants of Adelaide". Department for Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "LOCAL PLANTS CONSERVED IN A MUNICIPAL GARDEN" (PDF). Burnside City Council. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
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