User:The Rambling Man/sandbox2/Common Ice Plant

Common Ice Plant

Common Ice Plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) is a plant originally comes from Africa, Western Asia and Europe. The plant can survive dry and salty environment. They have a number of cells all over its leaves. The cells contain salt and look like crystals. That is why they are also called Crystalline Ice plant or Iceplant.

Uses

The leaves are good for eat, especially for salad. It tastes softly salted without any seasoning. So you can eat only after washing it. However, the plant can absorb and hold more harmful substances than other plants if it grows up on polluted land. As long as we want to eat it, they need clean soil and water.

Many variety of Common Ice Plan are made and cultivated in Japan, and they have own brand name. Though it has not become famous, you may see it in the vegetable section in the supermarket. French people call it "ficoïde glaciale", and are interested in them for cooking, too.

They are also planted for decorating gardens.