Frankenia laevis L.

Spice In the field

Family: FRANKENIACEAE

Genus: Frankenia

Spanish common name: Albohol. Brezo marino. Hierba sapera. Sapera. Sosa sapera. Tomillo aspero.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Litoral marshes and riparian. Rocky coastlines. Salty soils.

Characteristics: This is a perennial plant with a woody and very ramified base, always hugging the grounud and relatively small (up to 40 cm in diameter), with many leaves, small and folded against each other. The flowers are the most easy to identify parts, they are pink and open sparsely about the entire plant, more frequently at the final parts of the stems, and never grouped in terminal clusters.