Scientific Name

Suaeda arbuscoloides

Suaeda australis

Family

Chenopodiaceae

Description

Seablite is a small, woody, upright perennial herb. It ranges in height from 30 cm tall in Suaeda arbusculoides to 8o cm tall in Suaeda austrails.

Its leaves are succulent, cylindrical to D-shaped in cross-section, alternate and range in colour from green to purple. S. australis leaves are around 5.5 cm long, whileS. arbusculoides leaves are shorter at 2.5 cm long.

The plant’s flowers are bisexual and form in clusters at the base of the leaf. S. austra/is has clusters of up to nine flowers; S. arbuscuioides has up to three flowers.

Both species flower from September to March.

The fruiting body is round and flattened, 1-2 mm long, and with five succulent lobes closing over the seed.

The most visible difference between the two species is that S. arbuscuioides has smaller, much fatter, leaves with less flower heads.

S. australis has a red stripe on newly formed stems. S. australis forms dense bushes, whereas S. arbuscuioides usually occurs as a single plant.

S. austrabs is a more common species than S. arbusculoides.

Distribution

Seablight can be found along the eastern Queensland coast.

Flowering Period

Distribution

Features