| Serratula tinctoria | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Serratula |
| Species: | S. tinctoria |
| Binomial name | |
| Serratula tinctoria | |
Serratula tinctoria, commonly known as dyer's plumeless saw-wort [1] or saw-wort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
Saw-wort is a spineless hairless perennial herb with wiry branched erect grooved stems. It usually grows 20 – 80 cm tall. The long hairless leaves measure 12 – 20 cm long and have finely bristle-toothed edges. The leaves, which are arranged alternately along the stem, vary in shape and dimensions, ranging from undivided and lanceolate to deeply pinnatifid with narrow lobes. Only the lower leaves are stalked [2]
The stalked thistle-like flowerheads are 1.5 – 2 cm long and arranged in loose leafy inflorescences. The 5-lobed florets are reddish purple, the involucre is narrow oblong. The purplish bracts are appressed to the stem, being oval and pointed and not spiny. [2] The achenes have a simple feathery yellowish pappus.
The specific epithet "tinctoria" is derived from a Latin word meaning "used for dyeing or staining". This name refers to its source of yellow dye that was previously used until the 19th century.
S. tinctoria grows in various soil types overlying a range of rock types but is almost always confined to semi-natural vegetation in habitats with low levels of soil fertility and disturbance. It typically favours moist soils with full sun to partial shade, growing in grasslands, mires, open woodland, and scrub as well as their ecotones. [5] [6]
The species is found throughout much of England and Wales but is very rare in Scotland. It was first recorded from Ireland in New Ross, County Wexford in 1925, but has not been seen there since 1952. [5] The European range extends as far north as southern Sweden and Norway, but the plant is absent from much of the Boreal Zone (northern Poland, Russia, Fennoscandia, and the Baltic States) and the lowland Mediterranean. [5]
S. tinctoria has declined in Britain since at least the 19th century, primarily through a combination of drainage, ploughing and agricultural improvement as well as lack of management by cutting and grazing in grassland. [5]
This is an introduced plant in a small area of the north-eastern United States. [1]
The leaves of Serratula tinctoria are the source of a yellow dye. [6] As a herbal preparation, the plant was thought to mend ruptures and wounds. [7]
Hypericum perforatum, commonly known as St John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is a perennial plant that grows up to one meter tall, with many yellow flowers that have clearly visible black glands around their edges, long stamens, and three pistils. Probably a hybrid between the closely related H. attenuatum and H. maculatum that originated in Siberia, the species is now found worldwide. It is native to temperate regions across Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North and South America. In many areas where it is not native, H. perforatum is considered a noxious weed. It densely covers open areas to the exclusion of native plants, and is poor grazing material. As such, methods for biocontrol have been introduced in an attempt to slow or reverse the spread of the species.
Potentilla erecta is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the rose family (Rosaceae).
Centaurea scabiosa, or greater knapweed, is a perennial plant of the genus Centaurea. It is native to Europe and bears purple flower heads.
Plains coreopsis, garden tickseed, golden tickseed, or calliopsis, Coreopsis tinctoria, is an annual forb. The plant is common in Canada, northeast Mexico, and much of the United States, especially the Great Plains and Southern states where it is often called "calliopsis". The species is also widely cultivated and naturalized in China.
Ranunculus bulbosus, commonly known as bulbous buttercup or St. Anthony's turnip, is a perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has bright yellow flowers, and deeply divided, three-lobed long-petioled basal leaves.
Spiranthes spiralis, commonly known as autumn lady's-tresses, is an orchid that grows in Europe and adjacent North Africa and Asia. It is a small grey-green plant. It forms a rosette of four to five pointed, sessile, ovate leaves about 3 cm (1.2 in) in length. In late summer an unbranched stem of about 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) tall is produced with approximately four sheath-shaped leaves. The white flowers are about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and have a green spot on the lower lip. They are arranged in a helix around the upper half of the stalk. The species is listed in Appendix II of CITES as a species that is not currently threatened with extinction but that may become so. Autumn lady's-tresses are legally protected in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Pentaglottis is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. It is represented by a single species, Pentaglottis sempervirens, commonly known as the green alkanet, evergreen bugloss or alkanet, and is a bristly, perennial plant native to southwestern Europe, in northwest Iberia and France.
Turritis glabra, commonly known as tower rockcress or tower mustard, is a tall, slim, grey-green plant with small creamy flowers at the top of the stem. It usually grows on poor chalky or sandy soils, in open situations. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and it is widespread in North America where it is also probably native. It can be found in many other parts of the world as an introduced species.
Hypericum maculatum, commonly known as imperforate St John's-wort, or spotted St. Johnswort, is a species of perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is native to Europe and Western Asia where it grows in moist meadows.
Potentilla recta, the sulphur cinquefoil or rough-fruited cinquefoil, is a species of cinquefoil. It is native to Eurasia but it is present in North America as an introduced species, ranging through almost the entire continent except the northernmost part of Canada and Alaska.
Wrightia tinctoria, Pala indigo plant or dyer's oleander, is a flowering plant species in the genus Wrightia found in India, southeast Asia and Australia. It is found in dry and moist regions in its distribution. Various parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine, but there is no scientific evidence it is effective or safe for treating any disease.
Grindelia ciliata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Spanish gold, goldenweed, and waxed goldenweed.
Trichostigma octandrum is a species of flowering plant in the family Petiveriaceae. It was formerly placed in the pokeweed family, Phytolaccaceae. It is native to the Neotropics. It is known in English as hoopvine (Florida), black basket wythe, cooper's wythe, basket wiss or basket with, and hoop with. Common French names include liane pannier or liane a barques. Spanish names include bejuco canesta, sotacaballo, and pabello,. The plant has medicinal and fiber uses.
Crepis tectorum, commonly referred to as the narrowleaf hawksbeard or narrow-leaved hawk's-beard, is an annual or winter annual plant between 30 and 100 centimetres in height. Originating in Siberia before being introduced to Canada in 1890, the narrowleaf hawksbeard's is an invasive species. Maintaining one branched, hairless and leafy stem during maturity, the narrowleaf hawksbeard has yellow leaves which are arranged in an alternate manner and less than 0.5 inches (13 mm) wide.
Hypericum hirsutum is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae, commonly known as hairy St John's-wort. It is found in Western Europe.
Centaurium pulchellum is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name lesser centaury, or slender centaury. It differs from Centaurium erythraea by lacking basal rosette of leaves and by having a developed peduncle below the flowers. It is often much smaller, less than ten centimetres. It is native to the southern temperate parts of Europe.
Cyclachaena xanthiifolia, known as giant sumpweed, or rag sumpweed is a North American plant species in the sunflower family, Asteraceae. It is the only species in the genus Cyclachaena. Giant sumpweed is believed to be native to the Great Plains but is now found across much of southern Canada and the contiguous United States, though rarely in the Southeast.
Hypericum boreale, also known as northern St. John's-wort, is a short-lived perennial species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae, section Trigynobrathys.
Felicia mossamedensis or yellow felicia is a well-branched, roughly hairy, annual or perennial plant of up to 30 cm (1 ft) high, assigned to the family Asteraceae. It has alternately arranged, seated, flat to slightly succulent, broad-based, entire, blunt tipped leaves. The flower heads sit individually on top of a stalk of up to 8 cm (3 in) long, have an involucre of three whorls of bracts, many yellow ray florets and many yellow disk florets. It can be found in southern Africa, in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa and on the coast of Angola.
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.
Media related to Serratula tinctoria at Wikimedia Commons