Small succulents with pointy, gray-dusted leaves cling to a rocky bluff above the ocean. This is sea lettuce, or Dudleya farinosa. Also known as powdery dudleya, its leaves can be green or a floured grayish color and often are tinted with red. The blooming flower stalks are also red, while the flowers are a bright yellow.
Various other species of Dudleya were regularly eaten raw by indigenous Californians–but so far I haven’t found any specific references about the edibility of D. farinosa.
Sea lettuce is one of the north coast’s few succulent species. Dudleya and Sedum are the two main succulent genera around here; Dudleya species are distinguished by generally being unbranched, and by having tubular flowers and larger leaves (<3cm).
Flowers Of Marin 