Batis (plant)

For other uses, see Batis (plant) (disambiguation).

Batis
Male flowers on Batis maritima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Bataceae
Genus:	Batis L.
Species
B. argillicola B. maritima

Batis (Turtleweed, Saltwort, Beachwort, or Pickleweed) is a genus of two species of flowering plants, the only genus in the family Bataceae. They are halophytic (salt tolerant) plants, native to the coastal salt marshes of warm temperate and tropical America (B. maritima) and tropical Australasia (B. argillicola).

Morphology and taxonomy

Both species are evergreen low shrubs growing to 10-70 cm tall, prostrate where colonizing new mud, but once rooted, growing bushy. The leaves are small, swollen, fleshy and narrowly club-shaped. They are bright green, but can also take on a reddish color. The flowers are small, produced in nonshowy spikes, flowering from mid summer to fall. The American species is dioecious, while the Australasian species is monoecious.

Some botanists divide B. maritima into five species, with B. californica, B. fruticosa, B. spinosa and B. vermiculatus split off, but this interpretation is not widely followed.

Range and habitat

Amphibious Assault Vehicles clearing Batis on Marine Corps Base Hawaii

left]]Batis has the ability to live in salty environments. When other plants are exposed to salty soil or water, they lose most of their stored water, but Batis has adapted to this environment and does not have these problems. To help it survive in this salty habitat, its fleshy leaves are covered with very fine hairs that reduce the amount of water the plant loses to the air.

An example habitat of occurrence of Batis maritima is in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion of the Yucatan.

Not many animals can eat it because it is too salty, but White-tailed Deer eat B. maritima as part of their diet. Eastern Pygmy-Blue butterflies collect the nectar from its flowers. B. maritima is becoming rare in some areas, and some scientists think it should be added to the United States endangered species list, though it has also become an invasive species in Hawaii after accidental introduction there.

Terminology

The genus Salsola is also sometimes known as Saltwort, but is unrelated.

Uses

B. maritima was used by Native Americans as a food, the roots were chewed (like sugar cane) or boiled into a beverage while the stems and leaves were eaten raw, cooked or pickled. B. argillicola is also eaten as a green vegetable.

Saltwort has unexpectedly turned out to be a nutritious food source. An analysis of its peppercorn-sized seeds has revealed that they are extremely nutritious, having high quantities of proteins, oils and starches [1]. According to Massimo Marco from an article published by New Scientist, the seeds are extremely edible, having a nutty taste, and they can be added to salads, toasted, or even made into miniature popcorn. The oil is almost identical to safflower oil, which is used for cooking and in salad dressings, as well as for making margarine. The seeds also contain beneficial antioxidants such as tocopherols, which are thought to fight cancer.

References

• Batis maritima USDA plant profile
• Batis argillicola in Flora of Western Australia
• Batis argillicola in Online Field guide to Common Saltmarsh Plants of Queensland
• Article on the studies done on Saltwort by Massimo Marcone. It was originally published at newscientist.com: [2]
• Listing of Halophytes & Salt-Tolerant Plants