TORDYLIUM OFFICINALE

Family and Genus:- See- UMBELLIFERAE

Common Names:- Tordylium

Homotypic Synonyms:- Condylocarpus officinalis

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

Dioscorides for an umbellifer.

Officinale (L) Officinal medicine.

General description:- Slender, soft-pubescent annual.

Stem:-

1) 20-50 cm. with short, rather soft, vesicular, deflexed or patent hairs, ridged,

hollow, sparingly branched from the base.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, pinnate, with ovate to suborbicular, cordate, segments, sometimes,

2) Upper, simple or pinnatisect, lanceolate or oblong, margins crenate-dentate.

Flowers:-

1) Outer, with 2 petals much larger than the others (5-8 mm), each very unequally

2-lobed.

2) Rays, 8-14.

3) Bracts and bracteoles, about as long as the rays, numerous, subulate, stiffly

ciliate.

Fruit:-

1) 5-6 mm, broadly elliptic-ovate, with a thickened, whitish, comlgated margin;

dorsal face villous with very thin hairs.

Key features:-

1) Bracteoles, 12-48.

2) Fruit, 2.5-3 mm long.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Rocky hillsides, dry open shrubby vegetation, fallow fields, in gravel by

streambeds. 0-800 m.

Distribution:- Fairly common on Peloponnisos and mainland Greece. - Italy and

Balkan Peninsula. On Crete limited to the west.

Flowering time:- May-June(-July).

Photos by:- Peter Foss