Cakile maritima
CRUCIFERAE
Two-horned Sea Rocket
A world wide highly invasive hardy weed that originated In North Africa & temperate Europe, spread by wind water, tide, birds, ship ballasts & sand transportation. It is quick to establish in harsh maritime saline conditions becoming a coloniser species along high tide lines & sand dunes. Its two part seed pod ensures that one seed part is retained close at the parent plant whilst the second seed part is easily dispersed to another location. The seedpod/fruit is small, flat 1.5-2cm long, horned or unhorned, may or may not be present at flowering time.
Leaves are fleshy, unevenly lobed & divided , 2-8cm long.
Flowers, pink to lilac sometimes white, 4 petals, 1-1.5 cm wide,
characteristically opening from the bottom of the stem
& then upwards towards the top. Fragrant.
Flowering all year.
Orange bellied parrots feed on its seed, whereas high levels of erucic acid can have pathological effects on the cardiac muscles of other animals.
Control measures must be carried out every eight weeks, before seed drop by hand pulling or spraying with a suitable herbicide, often difficult in a large scale operation.
Control of Cakile is rarely undertaken.