Apiaceae

Trachyspermum Link

First published in Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 1: 267 (1821)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is NE. & E. Tropical Africa, Arabian Peninsula to Central Asia and Myanmar.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual herbs, ± tall and branched
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2–4-pinnatisect, the ultimate segments narrow, more rarely ternate with broader segments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound, involucre and involucel present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, the petals oval, deeply emarginate above and ± 2-lobed, with a broad and obtuse inflexed lobule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx teeth small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium
Stylopodia conical, styles reflexed, varying in length
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Valleculae univittate, commissure bivittate Ribs filiform but prominent, lateral marginal, mericarps thus obviously pentagonal in section Fruit narrowly or broadly ovoid, narrowed to the commissure, somewhat compressed laterally, shortly and often densely hairy or papillose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Endosperm
Endosperm similar in shape to mericarp, commissural face flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore
Carpophore bipartite to the base.
Distribution
Some 20 tropical and subtropical species from NE Africa to C Asia, India and China; one species in Iraq.
Note
Trachyspermum (from the Gr. τραχύς, trachys, rough and σπερμα, sperma, seed, from the hairy or verrucose fruits found in this genus.)
[FIQ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2–3-pinnate, with long, narrow segments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels numerous, compound, pedunculate; involucre generally present and of several bracts, occasionally absent or of only a single setaceous bract; involucel present, of several narrow bracteoles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers all hermaphrodite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-teeth absent or very small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, with an inflexed lobule, emarginate above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit papillose, hairy or verruculose, ovate, with no distinct beak, strongly laterally compressed and narrowed to the commissure; primary ribs slender and scarcely prominent to well defined, the mericarps rounded to obscurely 3-angled dorsally; vittae solitary in the valleculae and 2 on the commissure, large and conspicuous; stylopodia conical, disk almost absent, styles slender to very slender; carpophore bifid to the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Endosperm rounded to bluntly pentagonal in section, the commissure almost flat.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
Some 15 species from Africa in the west to China in the east.
Morphology General Habit
Annual erect or decumbent herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2–3-pinnate or ternate with narrow segments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound; bracts 0 to several; bracteoles several-Flowers bisexual-Calyx-lobes absent or very small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, with an inflexed tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits ovate, strongly laterally compressed and narrowed to the commissure, papillose, hairy or papillose; primary ribs obscure to distinct; vittae 1 in each groove and 2 on each commissural face, conspicuous; stylopodia conical, disk almost absent.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0