About Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz.
Tripolium pannonicum, commonly called sea aster or seashore aster, is often also known by the synonyms Aster tripolium and Aster pannonicus. It is a flowering plant native to Eurasia and northern Africa, and its distribution is restricted to salt marshes, estuaries, and occasionally inland salt works. This is a perennial plant that grows up to 50 centimeters tall, with fleshy lanceolate leaves and purple ray florets, and it flowers from July to September. Individual plants of this species tend to be short-lived, so populations require significant new recruitment from seedlings each year. There are both rayed and rayless varieties of Tripolium pannonicum; only rayed varieties have long blue or white florets, while the rayless form has yellow florets. This plant continues to flower well into autumn, so it provides a valuable source of nectar for late-flying butterflies including the painted lady and red admiral. The young leaves of this plant are edible, and are collected for consumption on the floodplains of the Dutch province of Zeeland. Sea aster was featured as the subject of a definitive stamp issued by the Irish post office, An Post, designed by Susan Sex.
