Peucedanum L.

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs, rarely biennials or annuals.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnate or ternate, or compound forms of these, rarely finely divided.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels compound, bracts 0 to numerous, probably sometimes caducous; bracteoles several to numerous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx teeth minute or 0.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white, cream or yellow, sometimes flushed with pink.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit orbicular, oblong or pyriform, very strongly dorsiventrally compressed, with a broad commissure. Lateral wings well developed as expansions of the marginal ribs, sometimes surrounding the stylopodium on both sides, dorsal ribs filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium

Stylopodium well developed, conical.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae

Vittae 1–3 in each interval and 2 in the commissural face.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore

Carpophore divided to the base.

Umbelliferae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Biennial or perennial herbs, glabrous to variously pilose, rootstock various

Morphology Leaves

Leaves variously pinnately or ternately divided into filiform to broad and jaggedly toothed segments, nervation pinnate, very rarely parallel-nerved and then with obscure secondary venation

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels compound, few–many; involucre of 0 or few caducous to numerous persistent bracts; involucel usually conspicuous, of numerous bracteoles; flowers usually polygamous, the terminal umbels of stem and branches hermaphrodite and fertile or the inner partial umbels or their inner flowers ♂, the opposite or verticillate outer umbels entirely or in part ♂

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-teeth absent to small but distinct

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white to cream, yellow or (commonly in Africa) greenish cream, ± incised above with a large or smaller incurved acute point

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit strongly dorsally compressed, oblong to elliptic, obovate or roundish, glabrous, truncate to slightly emarginate at base and apex, the stylopodia ± apical, commissure wide; 3 dorsal ribs ± prominent, slender, 2 marginal ribs expanded into distinct, broad to rather narrow, paper-thin or thicker wings; vittae 2–8(–12) on the commissural face, when numerous then slender and variable in number and sometimes irregular; vallecular vittae l–3(–5) or rarely almost a complete ring of vittae around the endosperm; vittae usually black and conspicuous in the ripe fruit, but on the commissure sometimes concealed by overlying tissue and clear only in section; stylopodia conical; styles short; carpophore deeply bipartite

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Endosperm flat or shallowly bisulcate on the commissural face, slightly to clearly sulcate beneath the vittae dorsally.