Seseli annuum is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Apiaceae (the carrot or parsley family). It was described by Carl Linnaeus (L.).
Taxonomy and Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Asterids
- Order: Apiales
- Family: Apiaceae
- Genus: Seseli
- Species: Seseli annuum
- Binomial name: Seseli annuum L.
Description Seseli annuum is a herbaceous plant that grows to approximately 30–90 cm in height. It has finely divided, 2–3 times pinnate leaves with linear leaflets up to 1 mm wide. The stems and leaves are finely short-haired to hairless, bluish-green in color, and often tinged with red. The flowers are small, white or reddish, arranged in compound umbels with 10–30 rays. The bracts are absent or few, while the bracteoles (involucel) are numerous with a membranous margin, approximately as long as the fruit stalks.
Distribution and Habitat The species is native to Europe, with a range extending from France and Spain eastward to Russia. It grows primarily in the temperate biome, typically on dry, calcareous (calcium-rich) soils. It is found in wild grasslands, steppe-like habitats, and dry meadows.
Growth Habit Seseli annuum is classified as a biennial or perennial plant. Despite the specific epithet annuum (meaning "annual" in Latin), the species is not strictly annual but rather biennial or perennial in its life cycle.
Subspecies Two subspecies are recognized:
- Seseli annuum subsp. annuum
- Seseli annuum subsp. carvifolium (Vill.) P. Fourn.
