Everything about Eryngium totally explained
Eryngium is a
genus of about 230 species of
annuals and
perennials with hairless and usually spiny
leaves, and dome-shaped
umbels of
flowers resembling those of
thistles. The genus has a
cosmopolitan distribution, with the centre of diversity in
South America. Some species are native to rocky and
coastal areas, but the majority are
grassland plants. Common names include
Sea-holly and
Eryngo, the former typically being applied to coastal species, and the latter to grassland species.
The
flowers are clustered in tight
umbels, with a whorl of spiny basal
bracts.
Eryngium maritimum is a perennial plant native to
Europe and often found on sea shores. It produces a basal rosette, from which grow flowering spikes with stiffly spiny foliage and stems. These can reach around 50 cm in height. It is often grown in gardens for its metallic bluish flowers and upper foliage. The basal foliage is a very conspicuous pale grey or silvery green, from which the stiff, lightly-branching flowering stems rise up.
Related species are grown as
ornamental plants in gardens, and these may also be called "sea holly", though the majority are not associated with
littoral (sea-shore) habitats. Among the best known of these is
Eryngium bourgatii (illustrated), a perennial with stunning green, prickly foliage marbled with silver. The flowers, which appear in summer, are cobalt blue, and very attractive to bees. The plant is 30 to 60 cm in height. Other commonly grown ornamental species include
Eryngium alpinum,
E. variifolium,
E. tripartitum,
E. bromeliifolium, and the biennial
E. giganteum.
Uses
Many species of
Eryngium have a history of use. The roots have been used as vegetables or for sweetmeats. Young shoots and leaves are sometimes used as an
asparagus substitute. The roots, such as of
Eryngium yuccifolium and
Eryngium maritimum, are potent inflammation modulators and may have other properties.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Eryngium'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://eryngium.totallyexplained.com">Eryngium Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
