A small parsley like plant, Orlaya daucoides is found surrounded by bare soil in olive groves, suggesting that it avoids competition from other more robust neighbours. These delightful little plants have delicate, lacy flowers which have enlarged petals on the outer edges of the flower head, giving the impression that the whole flower head is an individual flower. The flowers are followed by spiny fruits; these attach to passing animals, or clothes; this helps to distribute the seeds. The plants from this genus are sometimes known by the alternative common name of sock destroyers.