Chaerophyllum L.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, sometimes with a fusiform or tuberous rootstock, usually ± hairy, rarely glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually 2–4-pinnate, more rarely ternately decomposite, segments broad or narrow

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels compound

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucre of very few bracts or absent; involucel of many narrow to broad and herbaceous bracts

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white (rarely yellowish), usually polygamous; petals oblong or cuneate-obovate, emarginate or subentire above, with an inflexed lobule, or outer obcordate and radiant

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx teeth obsolete, or subulate and persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit oblong to linear, slightly compressed laterally, commissure narrow, ribs 5, very obtuse, mericarps most often subterete and only rarely pentagonal in section; valleculae univittate, commissure bivittate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium

Stylopodia small, conical, usually entire, rarely expanded into a crenate-margined disk

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore

Carpophore simple or bifid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Endosperm

Endosperm subterete or somewhat dorsally compressed, with a deeply sulcate commissural face.

Distribution

40 species in the N temperate region; two species in Iraq.

Note

Chaerophyllum (for Greek χ άριστος, kharistos, pleasant and φύλλον, phyllon, leaf, alluding to its agreeably scented foliage); Chervil.