Tordylium aegyptiacum (L.) Poir.

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

Morphology General Habit

Plant erect, 12–50(–60) cm, ± hairy or scabrid throughout its vegetative parts

Morphology Stem

Stem sulcate to angular

Morphology Leaves

Leaves oblong-ovate in outline, lowest long-petiolate, up to 8 cm long, upper rapidly becoming sessile on the expanded sheath, all bipinnate, lower usually with pinnules again deeply divided and thus subtripinnatisect, segments rarely attaining 4 mm in breadth, short and sub-obtuse

Morphology Branches

Branches most few, from the base or about the middle of stem, long and ascending

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles

Peduncles 2.5–11 cm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels usually rather few, with 6–15 scabrid or papillate hairy unequal rays 0.5–8 cm long Partial umbels with 4–26 flowers, outer flowers very radiant, larger petals to 7 mm Central partial umbel (umbellule) of many umbels modified to a purplish-black pileiform structure

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre

Involucre of few, setaceous, recurved bracts, usually short but up to 1 cm in large individuals

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Involucel of mostly 3 linear bracteoles, reflexed and disposed to one side of the partial umbel, rather long and frequently equalling the scabrid, 3–10 mm fruiting pedicels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Bicarpellate outer fruits round to broadly elliptic, 7–10 × 8–10 mm, frequently glabrous when mature, but a few hairs occasionally persisting centrally, when the mericarps are usually also minutely pruinose-papillose; fruit border ± distinctly crenulate-rugose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Unicarpellate inner fruits much smaller, smooth, swollen outwards from the hollow, contracted commissural face, bead-like pruinose-papillose, ± 5 mm

Disc

Disk very small, crenulate-margined, stylopodia small, conic, subequalling the emargination of the fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Styles glabrous, reflexed, short, about twice as long as the disk.

Ecology

Fields, fallow, abandoned cultivation and waste ground in the lower mountains and on the upper plains; alt. 250–750(–1000) m

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting: (Mar.–)Apr.–May(–Jun).

Distribution

Quite common in the NW and central sectors of the lower forest and moist steppe zones of Iraq. E Mediterranean, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt (rare), Arabia, Turkey.

Vernacular

?KHURILK (Kurd.-Dohuk, Makki 3293); ?KARKAIMA (Ir.-Tal Kaif, Mudir 3177 – “useful for sheep grazing”). A weedy plant but apparently of some value for grazing.