Crithmum maritimum
Rock samphire, herb of St. Peter Κρίταμα
Umbelliferae - carrot Family Dicot.
The succulent Crithmum maritimum is a plant of coastal rocks, growing on shingle beaches and in rocky crevices of tall cliffs. The branched stems are fleshy but woody at the base with thick grey-green leaves which have 3 to 7 narrow lobes. The flower are arranged in umbels with 8 to 16 thick spokes supporting 12 to 20 small white flowers which are short lived quickly developing into green seeds which eventually turn purple. The plant are resistant to the salty spray of the sea and only grow in close proximity to the shore.
✽4mm,❉4-12cmm, ⤴15-40cm,
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Kritama salad
Rock samphire, referred to by the Skopelities as kritama boiled until tender and dressed with a olive oil and vinegar makes a delicious piquant salad. The tender upper leaves must be picked before flowering. Although it grows right down to the edge of the sea, it is foraged from the high cliffs of the northern beaches - the more difficult it is to reach, the better it tastes!
