Apiaceae
Scandix

Scandix stellata Banks & Sol.

First published in A.Russell, Nat. Hist. Aleppo, ed. 2. 2: 249 (1794)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Medit. to Xinjiang and NW. India, Arabian Peninsula. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect, branched, 10–30(–50) cm, almost glabrous or shortly spreading-hairy, particularly around the mid-section, stem and branches slender, wiry, striate
Morphology Leaves
Leaves similar throughout, lower petiolate, upper sessile, oblong or deltoid in outline, tripinnate into short, narrowly linear segments, sheaths membranous-margined and ciliate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels with (1–)2–3(–5) rays which are shorter than the ripe fruit, or so nearly absent that the umbels appear simple Partial umbels 3–8-flowered, outer petals not conspicuously radiate, flowers 1.5–2 mm in diameter
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucre absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles 1–5 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles of involucel conspicuous, pinnatifid, when rays of umbel are very short forming a false involucre to the apparently simple umbel, pedicels none or to 1 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fertile part of fruits 5–7 mm long, linear, scabrid in upper half, ribs distinct; beak 12–20 mm, somewhat flattened, scabrid over the entire surface but much more strongly so on the keel
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium
Stylopodia minute, disk shortly cylindrical, broader than long, crenate-edged
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles very short, 0.25 mm
Ecology
Lower mountain slopes in oakwoods on limestone, on ledges of a limestone cliff, bottom of a shady ravine in light Quercus scrub, on a grassy slope near a waterfall, etc.; alt. 500–1350(–1700) m
Phenology
Flowering and fruiting: Apr.–May.
Distribution
Quite common in the lower forest zone of Iraq. Mediterranean Europe (from S Spain & France to the Balkans, Greece, SW Russia & Crimea), Cyprus, Aegean Isles, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Sinai, Egypt, Turkey, Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, C Asia (Turkmenistan & Kazakhstan to Siberia), N Africa.
[FIQ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

  • 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.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images