Crithmum

Description

It is a perennial plant growing to 50 cm in both height and width. The stems are woody at the base, fleshy elsewhere and hairless. The leaves are fleshy lobes. The greenish-yellow flowers are borne in umbels. The fruits (seed pods) are yellow or purple and up to 5-6 mm.

Distribution and habitat

Crithmum is found on coastlines throughout much of Europe (north to the British Isles), Macaronesia, parts of West Asia and North Africa in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts.

Cultivation

In Britain, rock samphire is cultivated in gardens, where it grows readily in a light, rich soil. In the United Kingdom the uprooting of wild plants is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Uses

Rock samphire or sea fennel has fleshy, divided aromatic leaves that Culpeper described as having a "pleasant, hot and spicy taste". The plant can be prepared much like marsh samphire (Salicornia europaea); the stems and leaves should be washed and cooked, while the stems, leaves and young seed pods can be pickled, perhaps in salted and spiced vinegar. The fresh leaves may be used in salads. Dried and ground sea fennel can also be used as a salt substitute.

Sea fennel pickle in olive oil or vinegar is a traditional food of Italy (Marche region), Croatia (Dalmatia), Greece, and Montenegro (Bay of Kotor). It is known as Paccasassi del Conero and used as an antipasto, to accompany fish and meat dishes and to garnish pizza and sandwiches.

Nutrition

Sea fennel has nutritional value, and is rich in antioxidants.

In culture

In the 17th century, Shakespeare in King Lear referred to the dangerous practice of collecting rock samphire from cliffs. In the 19th century, samphire was shipped in casks of seawater from the Isle of Wight to market in London at the end of May each year. Rock samphire used to be cried in London streets as "Crest Marine".

The reclaimed piece of land adjoining Dover, formed from spoil from the Channel Tunnel and called "Samphire Hoe", is named after rock samphire: people formerly harvested rock samphire from the neighbouring cliffs. "The name of Samphire Hoe comes from the rock samphire wild plant which was once collected from the cliffs and served as a side dish and was inspired by a passage from Shakespeare's King Lear."

References

References

1. (2014). "''Crithmum maritimum'' (Europe assessment)".
2. {{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17}}
3. Francis-Baker, Tiffany. (2021). "Concise Foraging Guide". [[Bloomsbury Publishing.
4. "Crithmum maritimum". Royal Horticultural Society.
5. Phillips, Roger. (1983). "Wild Food". Pan.
6. (1981). "Protection of wild plants". Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
7. Culpeper, Nicholas. (1653). "The Complete Herbal".
8. Mabey, Richard. (1975). "Food For Free". Fontana.
9. Romojaro A, Botella MÁ, Obón C, Pretel MT. (2013). "Nutritional and antioxidant properties of wild edible plants and their use as potential ingredients in the modern diet". Int J Food Sci Nutr.
10. Meot-Duros L, Magné C. (2009). "Antioxidant activity and phenol content of Crithmum maritimum L. leaves". Plant Physiol Biochem.
11. Shakespeare, William. (1623). "The Tragedy of King Lear".
12. Grigson, Geoffrey. (1958). "The Englishman's Flora". The Readers' Union, Phoenix House.