The amethyst eryngo (ερύγκιο)

Description:

Eryngium amethystinum, the amethyst eryngo, is a clump-forming, perennial, tap-rooted herb. Its stem is 30 to 50 cm long and is light blue to purple in colour. It has a basal circle of obovate, pinnate, spiny, leathery, mid-green leaves. It flowers in mid to late summer with cylindrical umbels, 2-3 cm long atop silvery blue bracts and branching stems. The plant is native to the eastern Mediterranean and prefers dry places and soils that are rich in calcium. It was spotted growing on the slopes of Tzoumerka mountains, Epirus region, Greece.