Limonium sinuatum (Statice)

Native to Macaronesia and from the Mediterranean to the western Sahara and western Caucasus, this annual or perennial herb is cultivated for long-lasting flower clusters used in fresh and dried arrangements. The showy, papery calyces occur in colors including yellow, white, pink, and purple. Deeply lobed lower leaves and winged flowering stems distinguish the plant. It is grown as a garden ornamental and in cut-flower plantings. The species has been introduced widely beyond its native range and can escape cultivation into dry, disturbed ground and roadsides. Photographed in Colombia.