Oenanthe pimpinelloides

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Oenanthe pimpinelloides
Oenanthe pimpinelloides2.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Oenanthe
Species:
O. pimpinelloides
Binomial name
Oenanthe pimpinelloides
L.

Oenanthe pimpinelloides is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name corky-fruited water-dropwort. It is a plant of tall, lightly grazed or infrequently mown grassland and coastal meadows in Europe and neighbouring parts of Asia and North Africa.

Contents

The outer flowers have enlarged "radiating" petals. Oenanthe pimpinelloides flowers.jpg
The outer flowers have enlarged "radiating" petals.

Description

Corky-fruited water-dropwort is a hairless, upright perennial with a solid, strongly grooved stem measuring up to 100 cm in height and 0.5 cm in diameter. The roots contain ovoid tubers a short distance from the base of the stem. The lanceolate to ovate lower leaves are twice pinnate with broad, toothed, cuneate segments 55 mm long and have a petiole up to 10 cm long. The petiole may exude sparse white latex when pierced. [1] The upper leaves are once- or twice-pinnate, and the blade is at least the same length as the petiole; the linear, entire lobes are 10–30 mm long. [2]

The main umbels each have of 6–15 smooth rays, 1–2 cm long, which thicken after flowering. Below these rays is a whorl of up to 5 small linear-lanceolate bracts. The peduncles of the secondary umbels (umbellules) are longer than the rays and also thicken after flowering, producing fruiting heads that are distinctively flat-topped. Each umblellule is subtended by 12-20 small, linear bracteoles.

It flowers from June to August in the UK. [3] The terminal umbels have both male-only and bisexual flowers, while the lateral umbels produce only male flowers. The non-fruiting male-only flowers are on longer stalks (pedicels) than the bisexual ones. Each tiny flower has 5 pointed, green sepals and 5 white petals, the outermost of which are slightly larger (a phenomenon known as "radiating"). There are 5 stamens, and 2 styles which project from the bulbous centre of the flower (the stylopodium). The stylopodium is the organ which secretes nectar onto its surface, attracting unspecialised species of pollinating insect, such as flies. The fruit is a schizocarp: a hard capsule that splits into two one-seeded mericarps as it matures. Each schizocarp is 3-3.5 mm long, with a prominent ridge on each mericarp. Like the rays and the peduncles, the individual pedicels also thicken after flowering. [2] [4]

The lower part of the stem is often tinged purple Oenanthe pimpinelloides stem.jpg
The lower part of the stem is often tinged purple
A fruiting umbel, showing the characteristic flat top and the long pedicels where male flowers have faded. Oenanthe pimpinelloides fruits.jpg
A fruiting umbel, showing the characteristic flat top and the long pedicels where male flowers have faded.

Identification

Unlike other species in the genus, Oenanthe pimpinelloides has ovoid to globose root tubers (‘potatoes’) that are situated some distance from the base of the stem. Narrow-leaved water-dropwort may also have tubers of this shape (the only other species displaying such a character), but in contrast to O. pimpinelloides, these are held close to the base of the plant. [5] However, on the grounds of conservation and wildlife law, the plant should not be uprooted to examine this character for identification purposes; different morphological features and habitat context should be looked at instead. [6]

Amongst the British species, corky-fruited water-dropwort is distinctive because it tends to grow in dry habitats and has flat-topped umbels. The bracts distinguish it from narrow-leaved water-dropwort, which has similarly fine foliage. [2] [4]

O. pimpinelloides has been frequently confused with the very similar O. incrassans in southeast Europe, which is sometimes treated as a subspecies. [7] [8]

The upper leaves have narrow, linear segments Oenanthe pimpinelloides foliage.jpg
The upper leaves have narrow, linear segments

Taxonomy and nomenclature

The scientific name for corky-fruited water-dropwort was coined by Peter Artedi, who developed the modern binomial classification system, and defined the species on the basis of its involucral characters. [9] However, Artedi's original Oenanthe pimpinelloides was not adequately separated from O. lachenalii and it was not until 1844 that a useful distinction between those two species was made. [10]

The original (ambiguous) name was published after Artedi's death by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, in 1753, and that name still stands for this species, although numerous synonyms have been proposed over the years, including Oenanthe globosa Georgi (1800), Oenanthe graminifolia Gaudin (1828), Oenanthe anatolica K. Koch (1846), and Phellandrium mathioli Bubani (1899). A full list can be found in the Synonymic Checklists of the Plants of the World. [11]

The following subspecies are currently recognised: O. pimpinelloides subsp. incrassans (Bory & Chaub.) Strid (2012), which occurs only in Greece; [12] O. pimpinelloides subsp. callosa (Salzm. ex DC.) Maire, which is found in Morocco and Spain; [13] and O. pimpinelloides subsp. pimpinelloides, which accounts for all other populations but is rarely recorded. [14]

There are no reported hybrids. [15]

Its chromosome number is 2n = 22. [2]

The generic name Oenanthe , which comes from the Ancient Greek οίνος, "wine" and άνθος, "flower", was used in ancient times for certain Mediterranean plants and later adopted to describe this genus. The Latin specific epithet “pimpinelloides” means “resembling Pimpinella ”, another genus in the same family (Apiaceae). The "dropwort" part of the common name is a reference to the tubers produced amongst the roots of this and certain other species in the genus. [16]

Mature fruit Oenanthe pimpinelloides old fruit.jpg
Mature fruit

Habitat and ecology

A corky-fruited water-dropwort meadow in Kent. Oenanthe pimpinelloides sward.jpg
A corky-fruited water-dropwort meadow in Kent.

This is a plant of damp to dry grassland, hay meadows, old pastures and roadsides. Being more resistant to water stress than its congeners, [17] it is the only water-dropwort that grows in dry lowland habitats in some parts of its natural range. [18] Although it is usually described as a grassland plant, its habitat is often somewhat ruderal and tending towards scrub. In Sardinia, it has been described as a plant of myrtle scrub around Mediterranean temporary ponds, [19] and in Turkey it is often found under hazel trees. [20]

Under the European Nature Information classification system EUNIS it is considered a characteristic species of "Atlantic false oat-grass meadows" (E2.211), which are restricted to the southern parts of the British Isles and western France. [21] This is equivalent to MG1 Arrhenatherum elatius in the British NVC, although it was omitted from the original description of that community. [22] False oat-grass meadows are characteristic of southern English counties such as Somerset and Hampshire, although this community is now more often found on road verges and field margins. [10] [23]

A different, but analogous, habitat for it is the EUNIS "Mediterranean tall humid grasslands" (E3.1), which are widespread throughout southern Europe as far east as the Black Sea. [24]

Its Ellenberg values in Britain are L = 7, F = 7, R = 6, N = 3, and S = 0. [25]

Five species of insect are known to feed on corky-fruited water-dropwort in the UK. Three of these are flies: Kiefferia pericarpiicola larvae produce galls on the flowers and seeds; Lasioptera carophila is a midge which also produces galls in the flowers or stems; and carrot fly can attack the roots. The remaining two species are Lepidoptera: Depressaria daucella caterpillars feed among the flowerheads, while Agonopterix yeatiana larvae roll the leaves and shoots. [26]

Larva of Depressaria daucella on a flowerhead of O. pimpinelloides Depressaria daucella Caterpillar MHNT.jpg
Larva of Depressaria daucella on a flowerhead of O. pimpinelloides

O. pimpinelloides can be a noxious weed in New Zealand on account of its vigorous, persistent growth where no natural enemies occur, potentially outcompeting native eucalypts. [27]

Pollination is by unspecialised insects such as this bonking beetle, Rhagonycha fulva Oenanthe pimpinelloides pollinator.jpg
Pollination is by unspecialised insects such as this bonking beetle, Rhagonycha fulva

Distribution and status

Corky-fruited water-dropwort is widely distributed in Europe, ranging from western Ireland and southern Britain to Turkey, then into western Asia including Israel, Jordon, Lebanon, and Syria. It also extends south through France, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. [28]

The centre of the world distribution of corky-fruited water-dropwort (Œnanthe faux boucage) is in France, where it is most common in the south-west, and overall is classified as "Least Concern". However, it becomes scarcer (VU) inland in places like the Rhône-Alpes region and even Critically Endangered at the northern edge of its range in Upper Normandy. [29] [30]

In the UK, its natural range is restricted to a few counties such as Somerset, Dorset, and Hampshire; where it is locally common. [2] However, it may be naturalized elsewhere in the country, such as in Cambridgeshire. In 2006, several plants were discovered growing around fishermen’s platforms dug into the bank of a lake at RAF Waterbeach. [31] The following year, about a dozen plants were found growing in a naturalized state on a lawn around a small pond at the British Antarctic Headquarters at High Cross, Cambridge. [32]

A new Irish record for the species was made at Duncannon in County Wexford in 2006. [33]

Uses

The related species hemlock water-dropwort is highly poisonous, and it is often assumed that corky-fruited water-dropwort would be similarly dangerous, [34] but there is no record of it ever harming humans or livestock, and it often occurs in hay meadows and pastures without any ill effect on cattle, sheep or horses. [35] [18]

Mrs Grieve described it as innocuous, and suggested that the tubers have "something the flavour of a filbert"; she did not consider it to have any medicinal properties, however. [36] In Turkey it is reported to be consumed by the locals after roasting or cooking with yoghurt and bulgur wheat [37] or pickled and cooked in the winter. It is said to be used as a digestive stimulant. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apiaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus Apium, and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants, with more than 3,800 species in about 446 genera, including such well-known, and economically important plants as ajwain, angelica, anise, asafoetida, caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lovage, cow parsley, parsley, parsnip and sea holly, as well as silphium, a plant whose exact identity is unclear and may be extinct.

<i>Oenanthe</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants in the umbellifer family Apiaceae

Oenanthe, known as water dropworts, oenanthes, water parsleys, and water celeries, are a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Most of the species grow in damp ground, such as in marshes or in water.

<i>Smyrnium olusatrum</i> Species of flowering plant

Smyrnium olusatrum, common name alexanders is an edible flowering plant of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), which grows on waste ground and in hedges around the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal regions of Europe. It was formerly widely grown as a pot herb, but is now appreciated mostly by foragers.

<i>Anthriscus sylvestris</i> Species of flowering plant

Anthriscus sylvestris, known as cow parsley, wild chervil, wild beaked parsley, Queen Anne's lace or keck, is a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant in the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). It is also sometimes called mother-die, a name that is also applied to the common hawthorn. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa. It is related to other diverse members of Apiaceae, such as parsley, carrot, hemlock and hogweed. It is often confused with Daucus carota, another member of the Apiaceae also known as "Queen Anne's lace" or "wild carrot".

North Curry Meadow is a 1.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in North Curry, Somerset, England, notified in 1989.

Woolhayes Farm is a 13.2 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Combe St Nicholas in Somerset, notified in 1992.

<i>Arrhenatherum elatius</i> Species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae

Arrhenatherum elatius is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, commonly known as false oat-grass, and also bulbous oat grass, tall oat-grass, tall meadow oat, onion couch and tuber oat-grass. It is native throughout Europe, and also western and southwestern Asia, and northwestern Africa. This tufted grass is sometimes used as an ornamental grass and is sometimes marketed as "cat grass".

<i>Caucalis</i> Genus of plants

Caucalis platycarpos is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, the only member of the genus Caucalis. Common names are carrot bur parsley, small bur-parsley, and burr parsley. It is native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East as far east as Iran.

<i>Montia fontana</i> Species of flowering plant

Montia fontana, blinks is a herbaceous annual to perennial plant that grows in freshwater springs in upland regions, and in seasonally damp acid grassland in the lowlands. It is widespread throughout the world, except in southern Asia. It is rather variable in morphology, which is reflected in a complex history of taxonomy. Currently, there are three accepted subspecies which are defined largely by the appearance of the seedcoat. It is edible and consumed as a salad in some areas, but is otherwise of minimal economic impact. Because of its association with clean water habitats, it is often viewed as a species of conservation value.

<i>Selinum carvifolia</i> Species of plant

Selinum carvifolia is a flowering plant of the genus Selinum in the family Apiaceae. The specific name carvifolia signifies 'having leaves resembling those of Caraway'. It is a plant of fens and damp meadows, growing in most of Europe, with the exception of much of the Mediterranean region, eastwards to Central Asia. Its common name in English is Cambridge milk parsley, because it is confined, in the UK, to the county of Cambridgeshire and closely resembles milk parsley, an umbellifer of another genus, but found in similar habitats. The two plants are not only similar in appearance, but also grow in similar moist habitats, although they may be told apart in the following manner: P. palustre has hollow, often purplish stems, pinnatifid leaf lobes and deflexed bracteoles; while S. carvifolia has solid, greenish stems, entire or sometimes lobed leaf-lobes and erecto-patent bracteoles. Also, when the two plants are in fruit, another difference becomes apparent: the three dorsal ridges on the fruit of S. carvifolia are winged, while those on the fruit of P. palustre are not. Yet a further difference lies in the respective leaflets of the plants : those of Peucedanum palustre are blunt and pale at the tip, while those of Selinum carvifolia are sharply pointed and of a darker green. S. carvifolia used also to occur in the English counties of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire but is now extinct in both. Growing in only three small Cambridgeshire fens, it is one of England's rarest umbellifers. It is naturalized in the United States, where it is known by the common name little-leaf angelica.

<i>Angelica pachycarpa</i> Species of flowering plant

Angelica pachycarpa, the Portuguese angelica, is a herbaceous perennial plant native to north western Spain and western Portugal, and naturalised in New Zealand. It inhabits forests, grasslands and stream sides and is occasionally grown as an ornamental garden subject for its glossy foliage and umbels of white flowers.

<i>Silaum silaus</i> Species of flowering plant

Silaum silaus, commonly known as pepper-saxifrage, is a perennial plant in the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) found across south-eastern, central, and western Europe, including the British Isles. It grows in damp grasslands on neutral soils.

Dropwort is a common name for several plants and may refer to:

<i>Oenanthe crocata</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenanthe crocata, hemlock water-dropwort is a flowering plant in the carrot family, native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It grows in damp grassland and wet woodland, often along river and stream banks. All parts of the plant are extremely toxic and it has been known to cause human and livestock poisoning.

<i>Oenanthe aquatica</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenanthe aquatica, fine-leaved water-dropwort, is an aquatic flowering plant in the carrot family. It is widely distributed from the Atlantic coast of Europe to central Asia.

<i><span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> Beruladium procurrens</i> Species of plant

× Beruladium procurrens is an intergeneric hybrid plant in the umbellifer family (Apiaceae); the result of hybridisation between Berula erecta and Helosciadium nodiflorum.

<i>Oenanthe fistulosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenanthe fistulosa, tubular water-dropwort, is a flowering plant in the carrot family, native to Europe, North Africa and western parts of Asia. It is an uncommon plant of wetlands, growing around pools and along ditches, mainly in areas of high conservation value.

<i>Oenanthe fluviatilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenanthe fluviatilis, the river water-dropwort, is a flowering plant in the carrot family, Apiaceae, which is endemic to north-west Europe. It grows only in clear, unpolluted rivers and is declining throughout its range.

<i>Oenanthe lachenalii</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenanthe lachenalii, parsley water-dropwort, is a flowering plant in the carrot family, which is native to Europe and parts of North Africa. It is a declining plant of coastal wetlands.

<i>Oenanthe silaifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenanthe silaifolia, narrow-leaved water-dropwort, is a flowering plant in the carrot family, which is native to Europe and adjacent parts of Asia and North Africa. It is an uncommon plant of water-meadows and wetlands.

References

  1. ↑ Poland J, Clements EJ. 2009. Vegetative Key to the British Flora. BSBI.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Tutin TG. 1980. Umbellifers of the British Isles. BSBI Handbook No. 2. ISBN   0-9-0115802-X
  3. ↑ Streeter D, Hart-Davies C, Hardcastle A, Cole F, Harper L. 2009. Collins Flower Guide. Harper Collins ISBN   9-78-000718389-0
  4. 1 2 Sell, Peter; Murrell, Gina (2009). Flora of Great Britain and Ireland, vol 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  5. ↑ Southam M. 1996. Recurring problems in Oenanthe. BSBI News 71: 22 – 24.
  6. ↑ Rose F, Walls RM. Oenanthe, fined leaved species. In: Rich TCG, Jermy AC. 1998. Plant Crib. BSBI.
  7. ↑ Foley MJY, Southam MJ. 2007. Oenanthe incrassans Bory & Chaub. (Apiaceae), a distinctive plant of the Aegean region. Candollea 62(2). ISSN: 0373-2967.
  8. ↑ Güner ED. 2016. Oenanthe incrassans: an enigmatic species from Turkey and its comparison with Oenanthe pimpinelloides (Apiaceae). Phytokeys 62: 101 – 111. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.62.8106
  9. ↑ Constance, L. (1971). History of the classification of Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) in Heywood, V. H. (ed.) The Biology and Chemistry of the Umbelliferae. London: Academic Press. pp. 1–11.
  10. 1 2 White, J.W. (1912). The Bristol Flora. Bath: R.A. Blackwell & Partners.
  11. ↑ Hassler, M. "Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World".
  12. ↑ Global Biodiversity Information Facility. "Oenanthe pimpinelloides subsp. incrassans".
  13. ↑ Global Biodiversity Information Facility. "Oenanthe pimpinelloides subsp. callosa".
  14. ↑ Global Biodiversity Information Facility. "Oenanthe pimpinelloides subsp. pimpinelloides".
  15. ↑ Stace, C.A. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles. Suffolk. ISBN   978-1-5272-2630-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. ↑ Wiktionary (18 August 2024). "dropwort".
  17. ↑ Radutoiu D, Stan I, Costache I. 2014. Oenanthe pimpinelloides L. in the flora of Romania. Contribuţii Botanice 49: 61 – 66.
  18. 1 2 Preston, C.D.; Pearman, D.A.; Dines, T.D. (2002). New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  19. ↑ Fois, M. "Discovering neglected vegetation in Sardinia: from knowledge to conservation". UNICA IRIS Institutional Research Information System. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  20. 1 2 Arslanoglu, S.F. (2016). "Some medicinal plants gathered from natural areas". Lucrări Ştiinţifice. 59 (2).
  21. ↑ "EUNIS -Factsheet for Atlantic [Arrhenatherum] grasslands". eunis.eea.europa.eu. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  22. ↑ Rodwell, J.S. (1991–2000). British Plant Communities, vols. 1-5. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  23. ↑ Brewis, Anne; Bowman, Paul; Rose, Francis, eds. (1996). The flora of Hampshire: a continuation of the work of Alick Westrup and Phoebe Yule. Colchester: Harley in association with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. ISBN   978-0-946589-53-1.
  24. ↑ "EUNIS -Factsheet for Mediterranean tall humid grassland". eunis.eea.europa.eu. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  25. ↑ Hill, M.O.; Mountford, J.O.; Roy, D.B.; Bunce, R.G.H. (1999). Ellenberg's indicator values for British plants. ECOFACT Volume 2. Technical Annex (PDF). Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. ISBN   1870393481 . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  26. ↑ Biological Records Centre. "Insects and their food plants" . Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  27. ↑ McKenzie H, Davenhill N, Gifford H, Hawke A. 1998. Growth of Eucalyptus nitens after application of herbicide to control parsley dropwort. Proceedings of the New Zealand Plant Protection Conference 51: 241 – 244.
  28. ↑ Cook CDK. 1968. Oenanthe. In: Tutin et. al. (eds.). Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2: 338-339.
  29. ↑ "Œnanthe faux boucage, Œnanthe faux pimpinelle". Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  30. ↑ Guillemot, Vincent (2023). Flore du Massif armoricain et ses marges (in French). Mèze: Editions Biotope. ISBN   978-2-36662-301-7.
  31. ↑ Leslie A. 2007. Vascular Plant Records. Nature in Cambridgeshire 49: 89 – 95.
  32. ↑ Cadbury CJ. 2010. Water dropwort Oenanthe species in Cambridgeshire. Nature in Cambridgeshire, No. 52.
  33. ↑ Green PR. 2008. Oenanthe pimpinelloides (corky fruited water dropwort) found at Duncannon, New for County Wexford (V.C. H12). Irish Botanical News 18: p31.
  34. ↑ "Corky-fruited water-dropwort (Oenanthe pimpinelloides) wildflower". Plant Wild. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  35. ↑ Cooper, M.R.; Johnson, A.W.; Dauncey, E.A. (2003). Poisonous Plants and Fungi. London: The Stationery Office. ISBN   0-11-702861-4.
  36. ↑ Grieve, Maud (1931). A Modern Herbal. New York: Dover Publications Inc. ISBN   0-486-22798-7.
  37. ↑ Ozbek K, Karabak S, Aysar N, Guzelsoy NA, Nurgal SARI, Duran RM, Tasci R, Guner B, Yucearslan H, Deniz D, Aksoy A. 2017. Biodiversity for food and nutrition project: Black Sea region studies ANADOLU Ege Tarımsal Araştırma Enstitüsü Dergisi 27(2): 17 - 25.
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