Black saltwort, Sea Milkwort
Glaux maritima
Family: Primulaceae
What it is like
A low fleshy herb. It lies along the ground. It keeps growing from year to year and roots at some of the nodes. The leaves are narrowly oval and mostly opposite. The leaves do not have stalks and do not have teeth. The flowers are pale pink, purplish or white. They are 3-6 mm across. They do not have petals. They occur singly at the base of the leaves. The fruit is a 5 valved capsule.
There is only one Glaux species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It also grows in Arctic regions. It grows in rock crevices, salt marshes and sandy places near the sea. It also grows along rivers. It grows in wetlands. It grows between 2,000-4,600 m altitude in Pakistan. In Sichuan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Arctic, Britain, Canada, Central Asia, China, Europe, France, Himalayas, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mediterranean, Mongolia, North America, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Tajikistan, Tibet, Turkmenistan, USA, Uzbekistan
How it is used for food
The fleshy rhizomes are dug up before they have sprouted (having been marked previously) then washed and cooked by boiling for a long time. They should only be eaten in small amounts.
Edible parts
Leaves, root