Portuguese Crowberry
EntdeckenPflanzen
Portuguese Crowberry
corema album
The Portuguese Crowberry (Corema album), known locally as camarinha, is a fascinating evergreen shrub endemic to the Atlantic dunes of the Iberian Peninsula. This hardy coastal survivor thrives in harsh, nutrient-poor sands where few other plants can persist. Historically, its pearl-like white berries were a popular wild treat, harvested by coastal communities for their refreshing, slightly acidic flavor. Today, this plant is recognized as a vital ecological cornerstone of dune ecosystems, helping stabilize shifting sands and providing essential sustenance to local wildlife. Despite its resilience, coastal development and habitat fragmentation pose ongoing challenges to its survival, making it a key species of conservation concern in Portugal and Spain.
Lebensraum: Found in coastal sand dunes and maritime pine forests along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula and southwest France.
Aussehen
A low-growing, densely branched shrub, the Portuguese Crowberry typically reaches 30 to 100 centimeters in height. It features small, needle-like, dark green leaves that release a pleasant rosemary-like fragrance when crushed. The plant is dioecious, meaning individual shrubs are either male or female; during late winter, male plants display inconspicuous, reddish-brown flowers, while female plants produce the species' most distinct feature: glossy, translucent white or light pink berries that resemble tiny pearls, clustering abundantly along the branches during late summer.
ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungEricalesFamilieEricaceaeGattungCorema
Kategorie
PflanzenSeltenheit
Common
Gefahr
1/5 · Sehr gering
Snaps
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Interessante Fakten
In the 19th century, the acidic, refreshing berries were regularly sold by street vendors in Portuguese coastal towns as a thirst-quenching snack.
The berries of the Portuguese Crowberry are unique among European crowberries for being white, earning them the nickname 'pearls of the dunes'.
The genus name 'Corema' comes from the Greek word for 'broom', referring to the shrub's historical use in making traditional sweeping brooms.
Besondere Fähigkeiten
Fähigkeit
Coastal Dune Anchoring
Deep, extensive root systems bind loose sand, stabilizing fragile coastal dunes against strong wind erosion.
Fähigkeit
Drought-Resistant Foliage
Tiny, needle-like ericoid leaves minimize surface area, drastically reducing water loss through transpiration in dry, sandy soils.
Fähigkeit
Allelopathic Suppression
Releases specialized chemical compounds into the surrounding soil to inhibit the growth of competing plant species.
Maße und Details
- Länge
- 30+ cm
- Gewicht
- 1+ kg
- Lebenserwartung
- 15+ Jahre
- Brutzeit
- 60+ Tage
Ernährung und Fütterung
As a photoautotrophic plant, it synthesizes its own sugars through photosynthesis, utilizing solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide.
Hauptnahrung
- Sunlight
- Carbon dioxide
- Water
- Soil nutrients
Ökologische Zusammenhänge
eaten by
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Consumes the sweet white berries and disperses the seeds across the sand dunes through its droppings.
eaten by
Iberian Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cooki
Feeds on the ripe berries during late summer, serving as an effective seed dispersal agent.
competitor
Ice Plant
Carpobrotus edulis
An aggressive invasive plant that competes directly with the crowberry for space, water, and nutrients on coastal dunes.
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Sicherheit
Gefahr
1/5 · Sehr gering
Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Wie identifiziert man Portuguese Crowberry?
Der einfachste Weg, Portuguese Crowberry zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.
Was ist der/die/das länge von Portuguese Crowberry?
30+ cm
Was ist der/die/das gewicht von Portuguese Crowberry?
1+ kg
Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Portuguese Crowberry?
15+ Jahre
Was frisst Portuguese Crowberry?
As a photoautotrophic plant, it synthesizes its own sugars through photosynthesis, utilizing solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide.
Wo findet man Portuguese Crowberry normalerweise?
Found in coastal sand dunes and maritime pine forests along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula and southwest France.
Was ist der/die/das brutzeit von Portuguese Crowberry?
60+ Tage
Snap-Karte
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Neueste Snaps
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