Galley Head, Co. Cork and Co. Waterford

Sea Carrot Daucus carota subsp. gummifer Mealbhacán mara Family: Apiaceae Flowering June-July. Biennial. Native. Coastal subspecies of Wild Carrot, Daucus carota. The umbels of white-pinky/red flowers are followed by fruit umbels that are convex or flat, the rays with stiff, bristly hairs. (Comparison bottom photographs). The leaves have darker green, fleshier and blunter leaflets than Wild Carrot, on shorter, stouter stems. Height usually less than 25cm Only found on coastal grassland on cliffs and stable sand-dunes. Rarely recorded, mainly from south-west Co. Cork but also Co. Waterford. Confirmed by Paul Green

Above: Sea Carrot, Daucus carota subsp. gummifer, Mealbhacán mara

Below: Comparison of fruiting umbels of Wild Carrot and Sea Carrot