TORDYLIUM APULUM

Family and Genus:- See- UMBELLIFERAE

Common Names:- Tordylium

Homotypic Synonyms:- Condylocarpus apulus, Tordylium humile.

Meaning:- Tordylium (Gr) A name used by the Greek physician and botanist

Dioscorides for an umbellifer.

Apulum (L) From Apulia, S. Italy.

General description:- Stout, softly and rather sparsely pubescent annual.

Stem:-

1) 20-50 cm. densely hairy at the base, with sparse long hairs above, ridged, solid,

sparingly branched from the base

Leaves:-

1) Basal and lower cauline, pinnate with 2-5 pairs of broadly ovate, incised-crenate

leaflets.

2) Upper, reduced, with much narrower lobes.

Flowers:-

1) Umbels, with 3-8 rays, white.

2) Rays 2-8, subequal, slender.

3) Bracts and bractlets, linear-lanceolate, deflexed.

4) Petals white;

a) outer, 2.5-9 mm, radiant and divided into 2 equal lobes.

b) inner, much smaller and entire.

Fruit:-

1) 6-10 mm, broadly elliptical, with soft, vesicular hairs; wing with a thin inner part,

thickened margin corrugated, minutely papillose.

Key features:-

1) Fruit 6-10 mm, with soft hairs, margin thickened, corrugated.

2) Stem, stout, sparsely hairy.

3) Outer flowers, with 1 large, ± equally 2-lobed petal.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Rocky and gravelly coastal habitats, dry open shrubby vegetation , field

margins, olive groves. 0-900 m. occasionally to 1350 m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean. Widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to mid-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton