Family |
Apiaceae
Smyrnium olusatrum
L.
Smyrnium olusatrum L.
First published in Sp. Pl.: 262 (1753).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 615, Pl. CCLXXIX, 1; 1970)
Description
Life-form & habit: Hairless biennial with a much-branched stem, reaching 1.5 m or more.
Leaves: Lower leaves are long-stalked and divided into threes, with ovate, scalloped segments often bearing three lobes. Opposite stem leaves are divided into three and have a short, ovate sheath with membranous margins.
Inflorescence & flowers: Convex umbels with five to fifteen angular rays that thicken in fruit. The main involucre is absent and the smaller involucels are greatly reduced; petals are pale yellow.
Fruit: Stout fruit with prominent, sharp dorsal ribs and short styles about as long as their conical bases.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering January–April.
Habitat & elevation: Abandoned or shaded places.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Beirut, Tripoli, Abey, Douma, Ghazir, Baabda and Mansourieh.
Syrian distribution: Banias, Latakia, Hama, Harim, Qasr el Banat and Damascus.
Native range: Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Canary Is., Chad, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe.
Introduced into: Bermuda, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand North.