Fumaria officinalis L.
common fumatory (common fumitory; drug fumitory)
Papaveraceae (Fumitory family)
(Previously in Fumariaceae)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
common fumatory (common fumitory; drug fumitory)
Papaveraceae (Fumitory family)
(Previously in Fumariaceae)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Introduction
Common fumitory in an introduced species in North America that is found across the US and Canada (USDA 2010). It is an annual herb from a taproot, with simple erect, branched stems and reddish purple flowers. Flowers are tiny, less than 10 mm. Leaflet lobes are almost linear. Work by Frank Lomer in the province indicates that it is very rare in BC (Lomer pers. com. 2010).
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Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems simple, erect, freely branched, 20-40 cm long, sometimes climbing.
Leaves:
Stem leaves alternate, divided, finely pinnately dissected, the ultimate segments oblanceolate, rounded.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of axillary racemes; corollas reddish-purple, 7-8 mm long, dark purple at the tip; spurs up to 4 mm long.
Fruits:
Nutlets, globose, slightly depressed at the tip, 2.5 mm wide, warty, single-seeded; seeds 1.0-1.5 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Mesic disturbed areas in the lowland zone; rare on SE Vancouver Island and adjacent mainland; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
Taxonomic Keys
1. Corollas 9-11 mm long.....................Fumaria martinii
1. Corollas 7-8 mm long.........................Fumaria officinalis Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia |