BERULA ERECTA

Family and Genus:- See- UMBELLIFERAE

Common Name:- Lesser water-parsnip

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Berula (L) Latin name in Marcellus Empyricus. (ca. 395 C.E.) A Gallic-

Roman writer.

Erecta (L) Erect, upright

General description:- Stoloniferous, glabrous perennial

Stems:-

1) 30-100 cm.

Leaves:-

1) Submerged 3- to 4-pinnate with linear lobes;

a) lower aerial leaves with (5-)7-14(-19) pairs of sessile, oblong-lanceolate to

ovate, biserrate segments 2-6 cm

b) upper, similar but narrower, deeply and sharply serrate.

Flowers:-

3) Umbels, leaf-opposed, rather short-pedunculate.

a) rays 10-20.

4) Bracts, numerous, incised-serrate, sometimes leaf-like;

a) bractlets entire, lanceolate.

5) Petals, small, white.

Fruit:-

1) 1·5-2 mm, usually wider than long.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Freshwater marshes, lake shores, by streams and ditches. 0-700 m.

Distribution:- Scattered throughout Peloponnisos, mainland Greece and Ionian

Islands. - Widespread in Europe, SW Asia and N North America. Somewhat rare

and limited distribution on Crete. (See map).

Flowering time:- June to early Aug.

Photos by:- Kind permission of Saxifraga - Free Nature Images & Wiki-Commons