Crithmum maritimum L. (Sea fennel)

Crithmum maritimum L. – (Sea fennel)

Herb with thick rhizomes that can form clumps up to 1.2 meters long. Stems long, thick, flexible and slightly branched, glaucous green as the leaves. Growth close to the ground, rarely reaches heights of over 70 centimeters.

Leaves fleshy, perennial and glaucous green. Leaves divided, 1-2 or 3 pinnatisect, with three acute segments, with strong lemony scent and are used in food. The taste reminds the common fennel, which takes its common name.

Inflorescence umbel-shaped. The plant can develop several umbels on the same branch, although the terminal umbels are more developed. Each has between 5 and 15 bracts, which end in umbélulas (umbels smaller) where the flowers grow.

Flowers minute, white or yellowish green. Hermaphrodites, consisting of five petals, five stamens, two styles and inferior ovary.

The fruit is an achene ellipsoidal in shape, about 6 millimeters long, containing within it two seeds, channel-shaped on one side and flat on the other.

It blooms in late summer from July to October. The fruits ripen in October.

Common plant in coastal areas, rocky terrain, cliffs, sandy soils and in places reaches the splash of the rocks.

Widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea, the Cantabrian coast, Atlantic coast of Europe and northern Africa.