Seaside arrowgrass
Triglochin maritima

Family: Juncaginaceae

What it is like

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. There are small tubers underground. It has a stout underground stem or rhizome. The leaves are narrow and thick. There are about 7 leaves that are 30 cm long by 1-4 mm wide. The flowers are greenish. They are 2-3 mm across. The fruit are 3-4 mm across.

There are about 15 Triglochin species. They grow in marshes in temperate regions.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in marshes below 5,200 m above sea level in China. It can grow in brackish or salty wet soils. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Alaska, Asia, Balkans, Bhutan, Bosnia, Canada, Central Asia, Europe, Himalayas, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, North America, Northeastern India, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Scandinavia, Sikkim, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tibet, USA

How it is used for food

The tubers are eaten after roasting. The young white leaves are cooked and eaten. The seeds are used as food after parching or roasting. Caution: It can contain hydrocyanic acid. This can be removed by cooking.

The leaves are foraged and eaten in restaurants in Sweden.

Edible parts

Tubers, root, seeds, caution, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Chaklamsar, Fjaeresaulok, Gaike, Girge, Morska brulja, Puga

Synonyms

Triglochin ani Koch; Triglochin roegneri C. Koch; Triglochin transcaucasica Bordzil.; and others