Glaux maritima L. Morphological characteristics

Perennial herb with single or branched taproot. Stem erect or ascending, usually single or lower branched, 3-25cm high, hairless. The leaves are dense, small, fleshy, alternately opposite, nearly alternate, nearly sessile, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 3-15mm long, 1.8-3.5mm wide, with a slightly pointed apex. , base cuneate, entire, glabrous. Flowers are small, axillary, with short pedicel, calyx broadly bell-shaped, 5-lobed, corolla, pinkish white to light red; stamens 5, ovary ovoid. Capsule nearly spherical (Fig. 120).

Figure 120 Glaux maritima L.

Glaux maritima L.

Geographic distribution

Widely distributed in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, Gansu, Tibet and areas south of the Yangtze River; abroad, it is also found in Mongolia, Central Asia, Siberia, the Far East, Europe and North America.

Biology and Ecological Characteristics

Sea milkweed is distributed in a wide area with widely varying ecological conditions, and its growth period also varies greatly. Generally, they turn green from the end of March to mid-May, buds form from May to early June, bloom from June to July, bear fruit from July to August, and turn yellow after frost. The reproductive period is about 90-150 days.

Sea milkweed is a medium-humid halophyte that likes to grow in salted meadows and swamp meadows on the seaside, lakeshores, riverside flats and terraces. Resistant to moisture and salt. The salt content in the 0-3cm soil layer can reach 32, and the lower layer can also grow in soil with a salt content of 2.5.

Feeding value

The stems are thin, soft and juicy. Sheep, rabbits, pigs and poultry like to eat it; horses, cattle and camels also eat it. In alpine meadows, swamp meadow short grass is one of the main pastures for livestock. From the perspective of chemical composition, the nitrogen-free leachate is rich, the ash content is high, the energy content is medium, and sea milkweed is a medium forage plant.

Table 120-1 Chemical composition of sea milkweed ()

* "Table of Conventional Ingredients and Nutritional Values ??of Xinjiang Compound Feed Resources", 1990; ** "Hebei Province Green Feed Ingredients" and Value Table", 1989.

Table 120-2 Energy value and digestible crude protein content of sea milkweed "Table of Conventional Ingredients and Nutritional Value of Xinjiang Compound Feed Resources", 1990.