Suaeda fruticosa

• Botanical Name : Suaeda fruticosa Forssk. Ex J. F. Gmel
• Synonyms : Chenopodium fruticosum L.
• Common Name : Moras
• Plant Family : Chenopodiaceae
• Plant Form : Herb
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

About Suaeda fruticosa Plant :

• Habit : An erect or diffuse, perennial herbs, subfruticose, much-branched, branches spreading with stems somewhat woody at the base, herbaceous in upper parts, glabrous glaucous-green, in younger parts terete, pale, brown and faintly striate in older.
• Leaves : Sessile, linear-oblong, obovate or elliptic-oblong, obtuse or acute at apex, tapering at base, subterete, fleshy, glabrous, glaucous-green.
• Inflorescence : Dense axillary globos clusters or forming spikes at the ends of leafless branches.
• Flowers :
  • Minute, deep-green, bracteates, bracts very small, ovate, subacute, membranous.
  • Fruiting perianth 2.5 mm long, subglobose; lobes oblong, obtuse, incurved, thick.
  • Stamens 5, styles 3, short.
• Fruit :
  • Utricles minute, ovoid, at first bright or deep green, at length black, smooth.
  • Seeds obovoid, slightly beaked and compressed, smooth, shining.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : June - November
• Significance :
  • The tender shoots and succulent leaves are at times eaten by local people as vegetables.
  • The leaves are sour in taste.
  • It is also eaten by camels and crude soda is prepared from it.