Suaeda taxifolia (Standley) Standley   =Suaeda californica var. pubescens                                                         Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)                                                                          Native   Woolly Sea-Blight       Sea-Blite

                              May Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Glaucous, densely pubescent, suffrutescent perennial, the stems ascending or decumbent, stout, 3-8 dm. long; lvs. many, alternate, rather crowded, spreading, subterete, 3-10 cm. long, not much reduced in infl.; fls. 1-1.5 mm. wide, glomerate in the lf. axils; calyx 5-lobed, cleft halfway, not appendaged, glaucous; seed black, shining, 1.5-2 mm. broad, horizontal or vertical.

Habitat:  Coastal Salt Marsh; Ventura co. to San Diego. Below 15 m.  July-Oct.

Name:  Suaeda is an Arabic name of antiquity.  Californica indicates that the species was first found in California.  (Dale 13,98).  L. pubescens, with hairs of puberty.  (Jaeger 213).  Gr. taxo, to put in order, arrange.  Taxifolia, possibly referring to the orderly alternate leaves.  (my comment)

General:  Common in the study area.    Photographed at North Star Beach and Big Canyon.  In Upper Newport Bay, most plants of this species are found above the line of highest tide or with only the skirt of the plant in the water at highest tide.  At least a few plants, however, occur within the tidal zone and these are found along the path between Delhi and 23rd St. (my comments).       The common name "blite" has been applied to many members of the Goosefoot Family for centuries.  It is not at all kin to the English word "blight."  Instead it means "insipid" in Latin and indicates that few of these plants are tasty.  The Indians used the seeds along with many others for a mush called pinole.  Those who have duplicated this dish assert that it is indeed insipid.  The plant made a rich, black dye for the weaving of Indian baskets.  (Dale 98).      Cahuilla Indians, inhabitants of the Colorado Desert, the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains, used the seeds and leaves for food.  Baskets were dyed with Suaeda coloring.  Upper tender stems, leaves and flowers are all pleasant when cooked.  Some species are very salty and require rinsing in a change of water or boiling for 5 minutes to make them palatable.  (Clarke 168,169).      The Indians made a rich black dye from the plant for coloring the strands, which they used in making the patterns in their colored baskets.  The whole plant was steeped in water and the dye obtained was said to have been very penetrating and durable with a fetid and disagreeable odor.  The leaves were gathered, boiled and eaten as greens.  In the early days at San Diego, the plant was known as Glasswort because of the

glassy brittleness of the stem.  Gathered in large quantities, the plants were burned and the ashes used in making soap.  (Balls 81).         Sea-blite, Suaeda taxifolia, is a short-lived perennial, which does not spread vegetatively.  Seedlings of this species are common at Tijuana Estuary.  Its ability to establish from seed allows sea-blite to invade bare intertidal soils, but prevents it from forming dense stands in an otherwise vegetatively reproducing marsh vegetation.  (Zedler 26).       More than 70% of the species will be found between 5.6 and 6.2 ft. above MLLW. (Zedler 17).       Suaeda taxifolia is one of the native halophytes occurring in Upper Newport Bay.  See Spartina foliosa for a complete list of the halophytes.  See Suaeda esteroa for additional information on the Suaedas. (my comments).      About 50 species of wide distribution.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 369).

Text Ref:  Collins 181; Munz, Calif. Flora 384; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 369; Roberts 19.

Photo Ref:  Dec 2 82 # 3,4; May 5 83 # 8; June-July 93 # 2.

Identity: by R. De Ruff.  

First Found:  December 1982.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 229

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 6/7/04.  

                                     May Photo                                                      December Photo