Purple salsify; Barba de cabra

Young Salsify flower. Purple salsify is a common Mediterranean flower that can reach ca. 1 m high. The stem is unbranched, and the leaves are somewhat grass-like. It exudes a milky juice from the stems. The flower head is purple and about 5 cm across, and each is surrounded by green bracts which are longer than the petals (the ligules of the ray flowers). The flowers are hermaphroditic, and pollination is by insects. The root, and sometimes the young shoots, of T. porrifolius are used as a vegetable, and historically the plant was cultivated for that purpose.