''Limonium binervosum'', commonly known as rock sea-lavender, is an

aggregate species Aggregate or aggregates may refer to: Computing and mathematics * collection of objects that are bound together by a root entity, otherwise known as an aggregate root. The aggregate root guarantees the consistency of changes being made within the ...

in the family Plumbaginaceae. Despite the common name, rock sea-lavender is not related to the lavenders or to rosemary but is a perennial

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with small violet-blue flowers with five petals in clusters. Eight rock sea-lavenders are endemic to Britain and

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

and the taxonomy was reviewed in 1986 to include a range of subspecies. Wirral web site accessed 2008-05-03 Growing 10–70 cm tall from a

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

, ''Limonium binervosum'' flourishes in

saline Saline may refer to: * Saline (medicine), a liquid with salt content to match the human body * Saline water, non-medicinal salt water * Saline, a historical term (especially US) for a salt works or saltern Places * Saline, Calvados, a commune in ...

soils, so are therefore common near the western coasts and in salt marshes, and also on saline, gypsum and

alkaline In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a base (chemistry), basic, ionic compound, ionic salt (chemistry), salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as ...

soils such as found on Flat Holm island in Wales, UK

Subspecies

* ''Limonium binervosum'' subsp. ''anglicum'' * ''Limonium binervosum'' subsp. ''cantianum'' * ''Limonium binervosum'' subsp. ''saxonicum'' * ''Limonium britanicum'' subsp. ''britanicum'' * ''Limonium britanicum'' subsp. ''combense'' * ''Limonium binervosum'' subsp. ''pseudotranswallianum'' * ''Limonium dodartiforme'' * ''Limonium loganicum'' * ''Limonium recurvum''

References

External links

List of UK endemic plants

Description of ''Limonium binoversum''

UK biodiversity action plan for ''Limonium binoversum''

Grid map of records on the Gateway for ''Limonium binervosum''

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3497319 binervosum Halophytes Flora of Great Britain