Suaeda pulvinata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Suaeda pulvinata |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Suaeda
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| Species: |
pulvinata
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Suaeda pulvinata is a unique plant found only in Mexico. It is a type of seepweed, which means it can grow in salty or wet areas. This plant lives near the shores of Lake Texcoco and Lake Totolcingo.
What makes Suaeda pulvinata special is how it adapts to its home. For about half the year, it lives underwater as an aquatic plant. Then, for the other half, it lives on dry land as a terrestrial plant. This happens because the water levels in the lakes it lives in change a lot throughout the year.
This plant is a herb that grows low to the ground. It has stems that spread out, and its leaves and flowers can be green or reddish.
Why This Plant Is Important
Suaeda pulvinata is very important to people living in the Mexican states of Puebla and Tlaxcala. They use it as an edible vegetable. A popular dish made with this plant is called romeritos. It's a traditional food that many people enjoy.
How Scientists Studied This Plant
Scientists have studied Suaeda pulvinata to understand its family tree. They found that all Suaeda pulvinata plants come from a single group, which is called monophyletic.
Scientists also think that Suaeda pulvinata might be a hybrid plant. This means it could have formed from two different types of Suaeda plants mixing a long time ago. They found clues about this by looking at the plant's DNA.
The Story of Its Discovery
The first scientist to collect this plant was Efraim Hernandez Xolocotzi. Later, a student named Guadalupe Ramos wrote about it in her university paper. However, she thought it was a different plant called Suaeda nigra.
It wasn't until 2013 that two scientists, Ernesto Alvarado Reyes and Hilda Flores Olvera, realized it was a completely new species. They gave it the name Suaeda pulvinata.
