Sea Holly (Eryngium)

Blipped this sea holly on my walk to work.

Species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Numerous hybrids have been selected for garden use, of which oliverianum and tripartitum have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Many species of Eryngium have been used as food and medicine. Eryngium campestre is used as a folk medicine in Turkey. Eryngium creticum is a herbal remedy for scorpion stings in Jordan. Eryngium elegans is used in Argentina and Eryngium foetidum in Latin America and South-East Asia. Native American peoples used many species for varied purposes. Cultures worldwide have used Eryngium extracts as anti-inflammatory agents. Eryngium yields an essential oil and contains many kinds of terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, and steroids.

Hope you have all had a good Thursday.