Sea-rocket (Cakile edentula Hook.)
Sea-rocket, also known as Seaside Mustard and caquillier in French, is found on sandy or gravelly beaches along the coast.
Cakile is a sprawling plant with succulent, branched stems. The leaves are thick and fleshy, with blunt-toothed margins. The four-petalled flowers are small, purple and located at the tip of the stem.
The name Sea-rocket comes from the distinctive shape of the seed pods. These have a narrow base and a pear-shaped tip, like a rocket. Cakile is an old Arabic name and edentula means ‘without teeth’.
Sea-rocket is edible. It has a hot, pungent taste, similar to radish. The stems, leaves and pods can be added to salads or boiled for 5 to 10 minutes to give a milder taste.
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Cakile wind
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the beach sizzles today
the breeze a peppered wind
the sand Cakile-hot
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wind scours the shore-bands
of seaweed – rockweed, kelp
bleaches them, crisped and dry
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sand dries, adheres to skin
brushes away, a rub
a sandpaper polish
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the tongue too hot for words
the seas too salt for tears
tans ruined, scorched and red
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© Jane Tims 2012
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Warning:
1. never eat any plant if you are not absolutely certain of the identification; 2. never eat any plant if you have personal sensitivities, including allergies, to certain plants or their derivatives; 3. never eat any plant unless you have checked several sources to verify the edibility of the plant.
nichepoetryandprose 
Beautiful pictures and poem.
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dfb
August 17, 2012 at 9:19 am
Hi. Thanks! Jane
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jane tims
August 17, 2012 at 10:13 pm
What a beautiful beach and poem! I haven’t gotten to the ocean this summer–and this post makes me realize how much I love the seashore on a hot summer day.
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Sheryl
August 15, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Hi. I’m glad my post have you a little reminder of the beach. Hope you can go there this year! Jane
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jane tims
August 17, 2012 at 8:08 am
Wonderful poem, Jane. You captured a beach experience beautifully, with or without the sea rocket!
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Jane Fritz
August 15, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Hi. Thanks. We had a hot one here today. So humid and hot, my glasses steamed up when I left the truck! Jane
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jane tims
August 15, 2012 at 9:48 pm
Many thanks, Jane. I have a poet that sent out a challenge for writing about the sea …she puts them together in a wonderful publication when she collects them all…the publishes it electronically for anyone to download. (YAY WORDS! published by Aubrie Cox)… and I had no idea what to write I’ve been so busy with other things.
Your posts have given me a treasure chest of things to write about the sea…. many thanks. This plant looks delicisous!
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snowbirdpress
August 15, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Hi Merrill. I’m sure the words will come to you. Thank you for your encouragement. Jane
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jane tims
August 15, 2012 at 9:43 pm