Halimione portulacoides the sea shores of western and southern Europe, and from the Mediterranean Sea to western Asia. Copeland Islands (Co. Down). Botanical synonyms include "Atriplex portulacoides" L. and "Obione portulacoides" (L.) Moq. Recent phylogenetic research revealed, that "Halimione" is a distinct genus and can not be included in "Atriplex". Halimione portulacoides Halimione portulacoides or sea purslane (2n=36) is a small greyish-green shrub widely distributed in temperate Eurasia and parts of Africa. A halophyte, it is found in salt marshes and coastal dunes, and is usually flooded at high tide. The plant grows to 75 cm. It is evergreen, and in northern
Western imperialism in Asia victory enabled Portugal to implement its strategy of controlling the Indian Ocean. Early in the 16th century Afonso de Albuquerque (left) emerged as the Portuguese colonial viceroy most instrumental in consolidating Portugal's holdings in Africa and in Asia. He understood that Portugal could wrest commercial supremacy from the Arabs only by force, and therefore devised a plan to establish forts at strategic sites which would dominate the trade routes and also protect Portuguese interests on land. In 1510, he conquered Goa in India, which enabled him to gradually consolidate control of most of the commercial traffic between Europe and Asia,