Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A wiry herb

Ecology

In montane vegetation.

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

Distribution

Widespread in Africa and Eurasia, introduced elsewhere.

Morphology General Habit

Plant up to c. 1 m tall; stems finely striate, glabrous or with stiff downwardly directed hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 2-pinnate with pinnatifid segments c. 2–8 x 1–3 mm, with stiff forwardly directed hairs particularly beneath; the lower ones petiolate, the upper sessile on the indistinctly demarcated sheaths

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels on 1.5–13 cm long peduncles; rays 2–12, c. 7–30 mm long, appressed strigulose; bracts absent or rarely 1 linear bract present; flowers c. 2–18 in each partial umbel, on 0–4 mm long pedicels; involucel of c. 4–8 bracteoles 1.5–5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes small to obsolete

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white, pink or purple, setulose outside, c. 1 mm long, or the outermost petals of outer partial umbels up to c. 2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits ellipsoid, c. 3–5 x 2–3 mm, densely covered by glochidiate-tipped spines along the obscure secondary ribs; styles about as long as to much longer than the stylopodia.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb with a slender taproot, 0.1–1.25 m, branched from the base and densely bushy with many short, branched stems to tall and simple or with rather few, long, ascending branches

Morphology Stem

Stems slender, wiry, terete, finely striate, glabrous or with downwardly-appressed strigulose hairs

Morphology Leaves

Upper leaves similar but reduced, varying to trisect with elongate segments (upper especially long), sessile on narrow sheaths Basal leaves generally withered by time of fruiting, bi- to subtri-pinnate with pinnatifid segments, deltoid and 3–15 × 2–12 cm in outline, ultimate divisions 2–8 × 1–3 mm, ± furnished with upwardly directed white strigulose hairs especially on lower surface; sheaths 2–5 mm, pale-margined; petiole 1.5–4.5 cm Median leaves similar or segments becoming narrower and more elongate, more shortly petiolate, sheaths long and narrow with involute margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels very numerous to rather few, on slender 1.5–13 cm peduncles; rays (2–)3–12, appressed-strigulose, 7–30 mm long; involucre usually absent, sometimes one linear bract present Partial umbels 2–18-flowered, pedicels very unequal, 0–4 mm, indumentum similar to that of rays; involucel of 4–8 bracteoles 1.5–5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx teeth very small to obsolete

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white to pink or purple, outermost petals of outer partial umbels not to decidedly radiant (to 2 mm), the inner or all petals 0.75–1 mm, strigose-hairy dorsally

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit ellipsoid, 3–5 × 2–3 mm, both mericarps densely covered with long, glochidiate-tipped, white to purple spines along the obscure secondary ribs, or one mericarp with spines shorter; stylopodia conical, short; styles very short to slender, 0.2–1.2 mm, style and stigma clearly longer than stylopodia.

Distribution

W, C & S. Europe, SW, S & E Asia, N, tropical and S Africa; introduced in N America and the W Indies.

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

Morphology Stem

Stem terete, glabrous, with fine grooves, sometimes purplish-tinged especially towards the base, little branched in African specimens.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves very variable, from 2-pinnate to 3-foliate; margins coarsely serrate to subentire, with numerous appressed white bristly hairs on the lamina, rhachis and petiole.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of terminal and lateral compound umbels; bracts 0 (1), rays 2–5 (-10), with appressed white bristles; bracteoles linear, acute, almost equalling the pedicels of the few-flowered partial umbels.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white, the outer ones sometimes slightly radiate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 3–5 mm. long, ovoid, densely covered with spreading, spiny glochidiate hairs, usually blackish-green when mature; sometimes 1, or rarely both, mericarps lacking spines and then covered with warty tubercles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Calyx teeth minute; stylopodium depressed; styles very variable in length, in African material usually c. twice as long as the stylopodium.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed curved in section, with the ends facing towards the commissure, but not recurved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae

Vittae 5, large and well developed.

Morphology General Habit

An erect annual herb up to 1 m., usually much smaller.

Morphology Roots

Root system a well-developed primary taproot, with limited secondary branches.