Suaeda nigra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Suaeda nigra |
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Suaeda
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nigra
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Suaeda nigra, also known as bush seepweed or Mojave sea-blite, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the amaranth family. This plant is often called by its older name, Suaeda moquinii.
Contents
About Suaeda Nigra
Suaeda nigra is a plant that can look quite different from one plant to another. This is because it has a lot of genetic variety.
What Does It Look Like?
This plant is a shrub or a small shrub. It grows from a woody base with many branches that spread out. It can grow up to about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall.
Sometimes, if it grows in wet areas that flood often, it can act like an annual plant. This means it lives for only one growing season.
The plant can be hairy or smooth. It usually has a waxy feel. Its color can range from green to red, dark purple, or even almost black.
Its leaves are succulent, meaning they are thick and fleshy. They are shaped like lines or spears, about 1 to 3 centimeters long. The leaves can be flat or round.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Suaeda nigra grow in small groups along the upper parts of the stems. Each group can have 1 to 12 flowers. Small, leaf-like parts called bracts grow near these flower groups.
The flowers do not have petals. Instead, they have a calyx, which is made of fleshy, rounded sepals.
After the flower blooms, it produces a fruit called an utricle. This fruit grows inside the calyx.
Where Suaeda Nigra Lives
Suaeda nigra is found naturally across a large part of western North America. You can find it from central Canada down through the Western United States. This includes areas like the Great Basin, the Mojave Desert in California, and into northern Mexico.
Its Favorite Places to Grow
This plant grows well in many different types of habitat. It especially likes places with salty and alkaline soils. These areas include desert flats, dry lakes (which are sometimes called 'playas'), and natural water seeps.
While it mostly lives inland, you can sometimes find Suaeda nigra in coastal areas. For example, it can grow in estuaries, which are places where rivers meet the sea.
Images for kids
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A close-up of Suaeda nigra showing its leaves and small flowers.
