#cakile maritima

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Flore de L'Île de Ré, Août 2025

pencil and watercolour, from life and my own photos, and plant guidebook (Guide des Plantes des bords de mer - Christian Bock) for information, identification and details

close up, photos, and information below (francais + english):

(click on photos for better quality)

(all photos are my own)

Cakile maritima (Caquillier maritime / Roquette-de-mer)

souvent trouvés en haut des plages, et à la limite des marées de vive-eau. on les trouve presque toute l'année, sauf l'hiver où ils disparaissent totalement (mais ils germent de nouveau en fin d'hiver).

la décomposotion des laisses de mer (particulièrement les algues) fournit au plantes l'azote dont elles ont besoin. le caquillier maritime a aussi évolué pour survivre dans cet environment en devenant resistant à la présence du sel, utile dans le cas facilement possible que l'eau de mer recouvre les plantes.

Cakile maritima (European sea rocket)

commonly found along the top of beaches, and along the limit of the tide's whitewater. they can be found almost all year long, excluding winter when they disappear completely (but begin to germinate again at the end of the season).

the decomposition of the sea wrack (especially seaweed) provide the necessary nitrogen for the plant. the sea rocket has also evolved to survive this environment through resistance to salt; useful in the likely event that the sea covers the plant.

Eryngium maritimum (Panicaut de mer / Chardon bleu des dunes)

trouvé dans les dunes blanches mobiles, souvent avec du l'oyat (Ammophila arenatia) et du liseron des dunes (Convolvulus soldanella). il ressemble aux chardons, mais ce n'est pas dans cette famille (Asteraceae), mais plutôt dans la famille des carottes (Apiaceae)

plante protégée en: Bretagne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, départment des Pyrénées-atlantiques

récolte réglementée dans: le Calvados, la Manche

Eryngium maritinum (Sea holly)

found in the moving white dunes, often found alongside marram grass (Ammophila arenatia) and beach morning glories (Convolvulus soldanella). although it bears a ressemblance to thistles, it does not belong to this family (Asteraceae), but is rather in the carrot family (Apiaceae)

protected species in: Bretagne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, départment des Pyrénées-atlantiques

regulated in: Calvados, the Channel

Glaucium flavum (Glaucienne jaune / Pavot cornu)

trouvé dans les sables riches en azote, enrichis en matières organiques, souvent au niveau des laisses de mer. ils sont communs sur tout le littoral, mais ils se trouvent aussi dans l'intérieur des terres. quand on coupe la tige ou les feuilles, la glaucienne jaune laisse écouler un latex jaunâtre (comme avec la plante proche, la chélidoine (Chelidonium majus L.)).

Glaucium flavum (Yellow horned poppy)

found in nitrogen-rich sand enriched with organic matter, frequently at sea level. it is common along the coast, but can also be found inland. when cut at the stem or leaves, the horned poppy releases a yellowish latex (as with the related greater celandine (Chelidonium majus L.))

Tripolium pannonicum (Aster maritime)

trouvé sur les vases salées, depuis la haute slikke jusqu'au haut schorre. l'eutrophisation favorise cette plante. ca ne pousse pas très bien dans les terrains très salés (seulement quelques centimètres et parfois un seul capitule), mais beaucoup mieux en présence d'eau saumâtre. ceci montre une résistance et non un besoin en sel. cette plante est rare en Bretagne, mais plus fréquente en Manche septentrionale et en Vendée plante protégée en: les Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Tripolium pannonicum (Sea aster)

found on salt-water silt, from the upper mudflats to the top of the saltmarshes. eutrophication favours this species. there is not much growth on salty ground (only a few centimetres in height, and maybe only one flower head), but grow much better in the presence of brackish water. this indicates a high resistance and lack of need for salt. the plant is rare in Bretagne, but is more frequent along the northern Channel, and in Vendée.

protected plant in: les Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Dimorphotheca ecklonis (Marguerite du Cap)

plante ornementale, introduite en Amérique, en Australie et plusieurs pays en Europe. indigène de la région du Cap-Oriental. trouvé dans l'herbe mouillée et dans les lits de rivières à des altitudes allant jusqu'à 300 mètres.

Dimorphotheca ecklonis (African daisy / Cape marguerite)

ornamental flower introduced to America, Australia, and many cournties in Europe. native to a small area in the Eastern Cape area. found on wet grass and river beds at altitudes up to 300 metres.

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Cakile maritima, Brassicaceae

Laying on a sunny beach close to European searocket, with its subtle floral scent and the gentle, continuous buzzing of bumblebees visiting its flowers, can make an afternoon so much more relaxing, at least in my opinion. You won’t be able to miss this plant present on sandy shores from the Southern Mediterranean up to Scandinavia, but also in parts of North America, western coast of Australia and to a lesser extent in South America, where it has been introduced. 

It’s easy to recognise it as a member of the mustard family by its leaves and four-petalled flowers, which range from white to pink, but the whole plant is fleshy and succulent, an adaptation which, together with a long and thick taproot -also typical of its family- makes it able to pioneer an environment not many other species can easily withstand, thriving on beaches often up to the splash line. Its siliquae, the seedpods you can see developing in the photos, are carried and dispersed by the tides, allowing this annual to successfully establish colonies year after year. 

It is edible, raw or cooked, and very rich in vitamin C, but very bitter and generally considered famine food. 

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Arriba algarvia: flora marítima

A região de arribas arenosas com os tons avermelhados dos óxidos de ferro é muito vulnerável à erosão marítima. Devido à sua baixa dureza facilmente se desagrega com o embate da ondulação dando origem ao vasto areal das praias. 

A vegetação é diversa tendo em comum a resistência à salsugem (vento com salinidade do mar) e à secura. Característica pelas folhas de dimensão reduzida ou em forma de agulha e, por vezes, revestidas de pêlos ou de aparência carnuda. 

O chorão-das-praias assim como as espécies do tipo acácia são as principais exóticas com comportamento invasor. Colonizam facilmente devido à quantidade de semente produzida e ao seu rápido crescimento. 

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Cakile maritima 31/08/2014 Family: Brassicaceae (Cabbage) Genus: Cakile Species: C. maritima Common Name: Sea Rocket Location: NT516859 Habitat: As the name suggests this plant usually grows next to the sea. Most often found at the top of the beach where grasses such as Marram (Ammophila arenaria) and Sea Lyme (Leymus arenarius) begin to pop up. Collector: Ewan Cole Authority: Scop.