limits of the tide #5 – Samphire (Salicornia europaea L.)
A beach-comber this time of year may easily over-look plants of Samphire (Salicornia europaea L.), also called Glasswort, Pigeon-foot, and Chicken-claws. Unless it is plentiful, it becomes lost ‘in the green’ of other sea-shore plants. The genus name, Salicornia, comes from the words sal meaning salt and cornu meaning horn. These plants consist of a branched, succulent stem, apparently without leaves or flowers. The leaves and tiny flowers are embedded in the stem.
Although Salicornia is typically a plant of coastal areas, like Sea-blite, it is also found far from the coast, in the vicinity of inland salt springs.
Samphire greens are salty, delicious as a salad ingredient, a pickle, or a pot-herb.
~
~
salt of the sea
Samphire ( Salicornia europaea L.)
~
Salicornia smoulders
on a silica shore,
flute and fire
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Glass pipes,
mainstem and branches,
pickle green
~
Light glimpsed
through crystalline,
transparent walls
~
Seawater, rarefied,
decanted
to a Samphire phial
~
Flask of salt-sap,
brine on the tongue
Always wanting more
~
~
© Jane Tims 2012
Warning: 1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.
nichepoetryandprose 
Another wonderful poem, Jane. This part made me almost taste the samphire:
“Flask of salt-sap,
brine on the tongue
Always wanting more”
I’m currently avoiding salt for health reasons, and anything salty always tastes like more. 🙂
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Robin
August 1, 2012 at 5:42 pm
Hi. I also have to be careful about salt, so just a nibble of any of these salty seaside plants is all I ever take. Jane
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jane tims
August 1, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Thanks for this! As always!
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sunontiepost
July 31, 2012 at 11:57 am
Hi. You are welcome. Have a good day… Jane
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jane tims
August 1, 2012 at 8:05 am
“Flute and fire” and “glass pipes”…lovely images in the poem, so full of taste and visuals. I really liked it. We picked Samphire Greens on the salt marshes in Albert County where I grew up. Great post.
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Carol Steel
July 30, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Hi. Thanks! This poem was a lot of fun to write. Jane
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jane tims
July 31, 2012 at 8:36 am
Really love this poem, Jane. Thank you for sharing your talent.
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Jane Fritz
July 29, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi. Thank you! Jane
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jane tims
July 29, 2012 at 4:34 pm
There’s no chance of finding them around here… we have about the most acid soil there is. But so glad to know about things that are beyond my experience.
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snowbirdpress
July 28, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Hi Merrill. You’d love a walk along the sea-shore… so many plants in one area. Jane
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jane tims
July 28, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Jane, you have no idea how much I miss the ocean. I grew up near the shore, I was brought up with fish almost every night. The air, the light, the soil, the plants, the entire environemtn is so different here… I’m like a fish out of water…. I wanted to move to the north coast of Maine, but John felt it was too cold for him…he was suffering from heart disease. So your posts are living my dream vicariously. Many thanks.
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snowbirdpress
July 28, 2012 at 9:02 pm
Hi. I feel the need to visit the ocean at least once during the summer, and I am fortunate to live within an hour’s driving, so I can go more often. When we were teenagers, we spent many hours at the beaches near Halifax. I have a post about sea-lavender coming up, so stay tuned!!! Jane
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jane tims
July 29, 2012 at 4:33 pm
So nice! I love learning about new plants.
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sandy
July 28, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Hi. I learn from your posts too. I learned about Samphire for the first time during visits to Grand Manan in the 80’s. Jane
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jane tims
July 28, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Lovely post Jane! Brought back some memories, too. I was brought up in the Lincolnshire fens and my father and I used to cycle down to the marshes and collect samphire. I think he used to boil it and sprinkle on vinegar. I enjoyed it.
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dfb
July 28, 2012 at 8:39 am
Hi. A plant shared between our coasts! I have only ever eaten it raw… it is salty and crunchy. Thanks! Jane
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jane tims
July 28, 2012 at 8:38 pm