While visiting the lagoon, I was stopped in my tracks by these pretty flowers, and had to learn more about this striking plant.

Yerba Mansa, also known as Lizard Tail, is a perennial native to southwestern US. It prefers wet locations, especially alkaline or saline marshy places below 2000 metres.

The leaves and stems are covered in soft hairs. On the upper side of the leaves, the hairs follow the veins; on the underside they cover the whole surface.

What appears to be a single bloom is actually a dense cluster of individual small flowers borne in a conical inflorescence with five to ten large white bracts beneath it. The conical structure develops into a single, tough fruit with tiny, pepper-like seeds.

The root can be consumed raw or cooked; it has a peppery flavour. Pulverized seeds can be used to make bread or added into other dishes. The root and rhizome have been used to treat the common cold, influenza, pain, wounds, burns, gastrointestinal upsets and many other conditions, but, according to WebMD, there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.