The Purple Sea-Rocket grows abundantly all summer on most of our
seashores. It is a bushy plant with many branches, and you will
recognise it by its thick and fleshy green leaves. The flowers are a
pale lilac colour, like those of the Cuckoo Flower. Some of them grow on
heads at the end of the main stem, and others have short stalks which
branch from each side of this stem.
In this plant there are always buds in a cluster at the end of the stem,
and those flowers that come out first grow further down the stem.
Behind the lilac flowers there are four small brownish-green sepals.
When these fall off, after the flower is withered, the seed-vessel which
lies inside grows into a small green pod. The pod is in two pieces and
looks as if it were joined in the middle. You will see a great many of
these tiny pods growing on each side of the main stalk where there have
been flowers.
The stem of the Sea-Rocket is very smooth and juicy. The leaves are long
and feather-shaped, and they are cut very irregularly into fingers all
the way round.