Caucalis

Caucalis platycarpos is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, the only member of the genus Caucalis. Common names are carrot bur parsley,^[2] small bur-parsley,^[3] and burr parsley.^[4] It is native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East as far east as Iran.^[5][6]

Caucalis
Botanical illustration
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Apiaceae
Subfamily:	Apioideae
Tribe:	Scandiceae
Subtribe:	Torilidinae
Genus:	Caucalis L.
Species:	C. platycarpos
Binomial name
Caucalis platycarpos L.
Synonyms[1]
List Ageomoron royenii (L.) Raf. Caucalis lappula Grande Caucalis latifolia Lam. 1779 not (L.) L. 1768 Caucalis linearifolia Req. ex DC. Caucalis queraltii Sennen Caucalis royenii (L.) Crantz Caucalis tenuifolia Salisb. Conium royenii L. Daucus caucalis E.H.L.Krause Daucus lappula Weber Daucus platycarpos Scop. Daucus royenii (L.) Baill. Orlaya platycarpos (L.) W.D.J.Koch

Description

Caucalis platycarpos is an annual up to 40 centimetres (16 in) tall with trailing stems. Leaves are highly divided into many small leaflets. Flowers are produced in an umbel of 2 to 5 flowers, each with white or pink petals. The fruit is an oblong capsule with many hooked spines on the surface.^[5][7]

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  Foliage
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  Flowers close-up
• 
  Fruit close-up

Distribution and habitat

It is distributed in southwest Asia, North Africa and most of central and Southern Europe; almost all of the Iberian Peninsula.

It is found in crop fields, fallows and nitrophilous grasslands. Preferably in basic substrates at an altitude of 100-1000 (1600) meters. Flowering occurs in March-June (July) and fruiting in May-August.