Easily confused with : other garden Sea-hollies, but most do not have variegated leaves, or quite the same multi-lobed sharp-pointed teeth.

Some similarities to : Sea-Holly (Eryngium maritimum) which has greyer-green leaves that are not variegated and dull-yellow-green to azure-blue disc-florets without ray florets. The collar around the disc-florets of Sea-Holly are not narrow, but rather more like a starred collar. Sea-Holly grows extensively wild in the UK around the coast, whereas Mediterranean Sea-Holly does not.

Far more likely to be found in a garden or very nearby than growing in the wild. Grows wild in the Mediterranean and presumably also in the Pyrenees. It is one of the many atypical Umbellifers lacking a recognisable umbel of flowers.

THREE POLYYNES The roots of the plant yields three poisonous polyacetylenes (polyynes), such as Falcarinone, Falcarinol and Falcarinolone as well as Scopoletin, a coumarin. The Falcarinolone may be present only as an artefact derived from the auto-oxidation of Falcarindiol, assuming the latter is also present.