Forsskaolea
Encyclopedia
Forsskaolea is a small genus
of 6 species of perennial herb
s in the nettle family
with non-stinging hairs and dot-like concretions of mineral matter on their green parts.
Flowers: Budding flowers are flat-topped clusters and bisexual and from the base stem, enclosed in bell shaped, densely hairy, rings of 3-6 bracts. Flowers are minute and unisexual with the female surrounded by a ring of male flowers. Male flowers have 3-5 lobed calyx and the females have none. Solitary stamen, upright wooly ovaries with no style.
Seeds: Achene
s oval to elliptical, flattened, densely hairy and enveloped in wooly bracts.
from the Canary Isles and southeast Spain then eastwards to Pakistan
and western India
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of 6 species of perennial herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s in the nettle family
Urticaceae
Urticaceae, or the nettle family, is a family of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus Urtica . Urticaceae includes a number of well-known and useful plants, including the aforementioned nettles, Ramie , māmaki , and ajlai .The family includes approximately 2600 species, grouped...
with non-stinging hairs and dot-like concretions of mineral matter on their green parts.
Description
Leaves: The leaves have three ribs, are alternate, scalloped and with toothlike projections along the edges.Flowers: Budding flowers are flat-topped clusters and bisexual and from the base stem, enclosed in bell shaped, densely hairy, rings of 3-6 bracts. Flowers are minute and unisexual with the female surrounded by a ring of male flowers. Male flowers have 3-5 lobed calyx and the females have none. Solitary stamen, upright wooly ovaries with no style.
Seeds: Achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
s oval to elliptical, flattened, densely hairy and enveloped in wooly bracts.
Distribution
Forsskaolea have found homes in the southern parts of the PalearcticPalearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
from the Canary Isles and southeast Spain then eastwards to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and western India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Selected species
- Forsskaolea angustifolia Retz.
- Forsskaolea candida L.f.
- Forsskaolea hereroensis Schinz
- Forsskaolea procridifolia Webb
- Forsskaolea tenacissimaForsskaolea tenacissimaForsskaolea tenacissima is a member of the non-stinging nettles genus Forsskaolea and is in the same family as the stinging kind, Urticaceae. Described as "looking like a tough character that does not want or need a caress", F...
L. - Forsskaolea viridis Ehrenb. ex Webb