Family:
Apiaceae Lindl.

Berula W.D.J.Koch

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Africa, Temp. Northern Hemisphere to Mexico.

[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Robust glabrous herbs with pinnate leaves and hollow stems.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in compound umbels with well-developed bracts and bracteoles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals subulate-triangular, quite conspicuous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals broadly obcordate, with an inflexed point at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit suborbicular, almost didymous, laterally depressed and somewhat constricted at the commissure; ribs poorly developed and not conspicuous, lateral ribs not marginal. Mericarps subpentagonal in section.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore
Carpophore adnate to the mericarps.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae
Vittae deeply embedded in the mesocarp.

[FTEA]

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

Morphology Leaves
Leaves simply pinnate with numerous toothed leaflets, teeth pale-mucronate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels numerous, compound, pedunculate, leaf-opposed; involucre and involucel conspicuous, of several linear and simple to toothed or dissected bracts and bracteoles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-teeth small but distinct
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, emarginate above with an incurved acute lobule, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit glabrous, slighdy laterally compressed, broadly ovoid to subglobose, mericarps narrowed to the commissure, subdidymous; primary ribs pale and conspicuous but scarcely at all raised, filiform; vittae deeply immersed beneath the thick spongy pericarp, not visible in surface view, in section quite large and abutting on to each other, forming a complete ring usually of ± 12–13 around the endosperm; stylopodia shortly conical, styles rather slender; carpophore adnate to the mericarps
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Endosperm almost round in section to very obtusely pentagonal.
Morphology General Habit
Aquatic perennial

[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs with pinnate leaves; leaflets imbricated when young and bearing spinous cartilaginous teeth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound; bracts and bracteoles numerous and well developed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals suborbicular to broadly obcordate, apex emarginate with an inflexed point.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx teeth obsolete.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium
Stylopodium well developed, conical with a thickened, undulate margin; styles short, stiff, erect, slightly divergent; stigmatic surfaces slightly thickened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit ovoid, slightly laterally compressed; ribs filiform but quite distinct. Mericarps pentagonal in section; commissural face flat.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae
Vittae 1 in each interval and 2 in the commissural face.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Commissural face of the seed flat.

[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs with a rhizomatous rootstock
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simply pinnate with numerous, toothed, cartilaginous-mucronate leaflets
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels several, compound, pedunculate; involucre and involucel conspicuous, bracts commonly ± divided, bracteoles entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers polygamous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-teeth inconspicuous or absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals emarginate above with an incurved, rather broad apical lobule, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit glabrous, broadly ovoid, somewhat laterally compressed with the primary ribs narrow but pale and prominent, commissure narrow at maturity; vittae solitary in the valleculae, 2 on the commissure; stylopodia relatively large, styles rather short and stout; carpophore bifid to the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Endosperm distinctly pentagonal, the surface slightly sulcate beneath the vittae.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Burundi, California, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Central African Repu, Central European Rus, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Free State, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kirgizstan, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Malawi, Mexico Central, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northern Provinces, Northwest European R, Norway, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, St.Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tanzania, Texas, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Extinct in:

Palestine

Introduced into:

Colorado, South Australia

Berula W.D.J.Koch appears in other Kew resources:

First published in J.C.Röhling, Deutschl. Fl., ed. 3, 2: 433 (1826)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (1996). World Checklist of Seed Plants 2(1, 2): 1-492. MIM, Deurne.

Literature

Flora Zambesiaca

  • in Röhl., Deutschl. Fl. 2: 25 (1826).

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • in Röhl., Deutsch. Fl. 2: 25, 433 (1826)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0