The Sea Carrot is common in many parts of Britain, where it blooms on
the seashore all summer and autumn.
It belongs to the large family of plants that carry their flowers on
green spokes like the ribs of an umbrella, and as these flowers are very
confusing, you must notice the differences carefully.
The flowers of the Sea Carrot are usually small and white, though
sometimes they have a pinky tinge. They grow in masses at the end of the
green spokes. Before the flowers are fully out, these spokes stand
straight up in the air, very close together, with the clusters of
flower-buds all turned inwards.
But when the buds begin to open, these green spokes fold down so as to
give the flowers room to look up towards the sun.
You will always know the Sea Carrot by the curious way the spokes stand
close together until the flowers open.
At the top of the main stem, where all the spokes join, there is a
circle of feathery green leaves. These feathery leaves each end in three
points, and they have a special name which you will learn some day.
The leaves of the Sea Carrot are like fine soft ferns. They are so
pretty that people use them for decoration among flowers.