Rock samphire

Rock samphire

Taxobox
name = Rock samphire


regnum = Plantae
phylum= Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Apiales
familia = Apiaceae
genus = "Crithmum"
species = "C. maritimum"
binomial = "Crithmum maritimum"
binomial_authority = L.

Samphire, or rock samphire ("Crithmum maritimum"), the sole species of the genus "Crithmum", is an edible wild plant found in coastal regions of mainland Great Britain. The term samphire is used for several unrelated species of coastal plant.

In King Lear, Shakespeare refers to the dangerous practice of collecting rock samphire from cliffs. "Half-way down, Hangs one that gathers samphire; dreadful trade!"

Culinary Use

Rock samphire has fleshy, divided aromatic leaves that have been described by Culpeper as having a "pleasant, hot and spicy taste".

According to Roger Phillips in "Wild Food", Rock Samphire was cultivated in English gardens, and used to be cried in London streets as "Crest Marine".

Grigson ("The Englishman's Flora") writes that in the 19th Century samphire was being shipped in casks of seawater to market in London from the Isle of Wight at the end of May each year.

The stems, leaves and seed pods may be pickled in hot, salted, spiced vinegar, or the leaves used fresh in salads.

Richard Mabey in "Food for Free" gives several recipes for samphire,although it is possible that at least one of these may refer to Marsh samphire ("Salicornia europaea"),a very common confusion.

Samphire grows readily in the garden in a light, rich soil, but obtaining seed commercially is very difficult, also the removal of wild plants is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Sources

* Geoffrey Grigson "The Englishman's Flora" Phoenix House 1958

Nicholas Culpeper "Culpeper's Herbal",London 1653

"Food for Free" Richard Mabey Collins,1972http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/shrimpandsamphireris_3208.shtml
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/samphire.shtml BBC Gardener's Question Time] - where there is apparently some confusion between the glasswort (marsh samphire, found in Suffolk) and the rock samphire (found in Dorset).
* [http://www.biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk/samphire.htm Biff Vernon] discusses the common confusion between marsh samphire and rock samphire, and reproduces a poem on the subject by William Logan.
* [http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/samphi10.html Botanical.com]
* [http://www.riverhouse.com.au/factsheets/rock_samphire.html Riverhouse]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • rock samphire — pajūrinis kritmas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Salierinių šeimos prieskoninis, vaistinis augalas (Crithmum maritimum), paplitęs šiaurės Afrikoje, vakarų Azijoje ir pietų Europoje. Iš jo gaminami maisto priedai (kvėpikliai). atitikmenys:… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • rock samphire — noun : samphire 1, 2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Samphire — is a name given to a number of very different, edible plants, that happen to grow in coastal areas. *Rock samphire, Crithmum maritimum is a coastal species with white flowers that grows in the United Kingdom. This is probably the species… …   Wikipedia

  • Samphire (disambiguation) — Samphire may refer to:* Samphire, name given to several unrelated, edible coastal plants, including the genera Salicornia , Tecticornia‎ and Sarcocornia ** Golden samphire ** Rock samphire * Samphire Hoe, part of Kent, UK * Samphire Island,… …   Wikipedia

  • Samphire Hoe Country Park — is a country park situated 3 kilometres west of Dover, Kent, England (coord|51.10783| 1.280078). The park was created by using 4.9 million cubic metres of chalk marl from the Channel Tunnel excavations and is found at the bottom of a section of… …   Wikipedia

  • samphire — pajūrinis kritmas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Salierinių šeimos prieskoninis, vaistinis augalas (Crithmum maritimum), paplitęs šiaurės Afrikoje, vakarų Azijoje ir pietų Europoje. Iš jo gaminami maisto priedai (kvėpikliai). atitikmenys:… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • samphire — noun /sæm.ˈfaɪ.ə(ɹ),sæm.ˈfə(ɹ)/ a) One of several edible plants growing near the sea, including the rock samphire mentioned by Edgar in Shakespeares King Lear. b) Glasswort, the plant once burned to produce the ash used to make soda glass …   Wiktionary

  • samphire — [ samfʌɪə] noun a fleshy leaved plant which grows near the sea. [Crithmum maritimum (rock samphire) and other species.] Origin C16 (earlier as sampiere): from Fr. (herbe de) Saint Pierre St Peter( s herb) …   English new terms dictionary

  • samphire — /sam fuyeur/, n. 1. a European succulent plant, Crithmum maritimum, of the parsley family, having compound leaves and small, whitish flowers, growing in clefts of rock near the sea. 2. glasswort. [1535 45; earlier sampiere < MF (herbe de) Saint… …   Universalium

  • samphire — sam•phire [[t]ˈsæm faɪər[/t]] n. 1) pln a European succulent plant, Crithmum maritimum, of the parsley family, having small, whitish flowers and growing in clefts of rock near the sea 2) pln glasswort • Etymology: 1535–45; earlier sampiere <… …   From formal English to slang

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