Canary Islands Flora Garden

Apiaceae

Astydamia latifolia (L. f.) Baill.

Sea lettuce, napkin

This plant is found in the Canary Islands and North Africa. It belongs to the celery family and grows mainly along the islands' coastlines. It is a herbaceous plant that flowers between December and May. Its green leaves are fleshy, although they dry out during the summer, disappearing almost completely for several months of the year. Its small, yellow flowers are clustered in small, umbrella-shaped inflorescences, which in turn form larger, similarly shaped inflorescences. Its corky fruits float on water and can be dispersed by the sea, colonizing other coastal areas.