Japanese hedge parsley |
Flowers, fruits and leaf of the Japanese hedge parsley
| Torilis japonica (Houtt.) DC.: | |
| Blooming period: | April–Oktober |
| Height: | 20–120 cm |
| Flowers: | Ø approx. 3 mm, bisexual, stamens: 5, styles: 2 |
| Petals: | 5, usually white to pink, the marginal onesw hardly increased |
| Sepals: | 5, small |
| Stem leaves: | alternate, 1- to 2-fold pinnate |
| Basal leaves: | long stalked, 1- to 2-fold pinnate |
Plants annual, herbaceous, appressed hairy, with a thick taproot.
Stem erect, rough, often highly branched. Below the nodes not thickened.
Basal leaves and lower leaves stalked, triangular in outline, 1- to 2-fold pinnate, leaflets often deeply pinnatifid, long and acute. Upper leaves smaller and simply pinnate; leaflets less deeply incised.
Inflorescence: double umbel; umbel with 4 to 12 rays, flat, bracts of the umbel 4–6, linear, up to 150 mm, often unequal in length, the umbel rays close lying.
Raylet leaves up to 8, similar to the bracts of the umbel. Umbellules usually with 4 to 12 flowers.
The marginal petals are hardly enlarged. Petals white or pink, deeply notched, bent inwards at the apex.
The two styles are slightly spreading at the fruiting time, widened at the base, about three times as long as the stylopodium. The 5 anthers are white or pink.
From the inferior ovary consisting of 2 carpels develops a 2-part schizocarp.
Fruits up to 5 mm long, nearly spherical to ovate-oblong, black violet, with 8 ribs. The ribs bear spines with a bent tip.
| Floral formula: |
| * K0 C5 A5 G(2) inferior |
Occurrence:
Waysides,
roadsides, meadows, hedgerows, ruderal areas. Prefers slightly warm,
slightly moist, slightly alkaline and very nitrogenous locations.
Distribution:
Originally
Europe and East Asia, introduced in North America.