Fumaria parviflora Lam.
Papaveraceae (Poppy Family)EuropeFumitory |
March Photo
Plant Characteristics:
Glabrous, diffusely branched, annual, the stems 2-6 dm. long; lvs. 2-6 cm. long,
finely dissected into segms. less than 2 mm. wide, channeled; petals 4, one of
the outer pair spurred at base, the inner pair narrow, coherent at apex, keeled
or crested on back, 3-4 mm. long, cream with inner purple-tipped; stamens 6, +/-
fused in 2 sets opposite outer petals; sepals 0.5-1 mm. long; ovary subspheric,
style 1, deciduous, stigma dot-like; fr. 2 mm. in CA, spheric not depressed at
apex, apiculate; seed 1, crestless.
Habitat:
Occasional in waste places below 1000 meters, central and southern
California counties. (Hickman, Ed. 814). March-May.
Name:
Latin, fumus, smoke, presumably
because of the color of the fresh roots. (Munz,
Flora So. Calif. 628); or Latin, fumus,
smoky, perhaps from the odor of the fresh roots.
(Hickman, Ed. 814). Latin, parvus, small and Latin, floris,
a flower. (Jaeger 184,103).
Parviflora, small-flowered.
General:
Rare in the study area, having been found in only one location, this
being the dirt road leading into Big Canyon from that portion of Eastbluff, near
the Corona del Mar High School
football field. There were several
plants along the road and some on the bank above the road.
Flowers from this area are much larger than those described in the texts.
(my comments).
About 15 species of the Old World. (Munz,
Flora So. Calif.
628). The
family Fumariaceae is closely allied to the Papaveraceae with which it is often united, but differs in its
watery juice, the irregular fls. with 2 small scale-like sepals, 4 petals in 2
series, one or both of the outer ones spurred or gibbous, stamens 6 in 2 series,
the filaments often untied. (Bailey
428). F. officinalis is used as a gentle tonic and alternative, and in
large doses is seems to have laxative and diuretic properties.
An infusion of the leaves is usually given in a wine glass full every
four hours. (Meyer 48).
Text Ref:
Hickman, Ed. 814; Munz, Flora So.
Calif. 628. Roberts 31.
Photo Ref:
March 95 # 24, E; Mar-April 95 #2.
Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.
Computer Ref: Plant Data 474.
Have plant specimen.
Last edit 3/22/03.
March Photo