Common name: Keeled Cornsalad
Scientific name: Valerianella carinata
Genus: Valerianella 新纈草屬*
Family: Caprifoliaceae 忍冬科, honeysuckle family
Remarks*:It is formerly placed in Valerianaceae 敗醬科, valerian family. The family is now catergorized as subfamily Valerianoideae 纈草亞科 of Caprifoliaceae 忍冬科, honeysuckle family by APGIV.
Origin: Archaeophyte (established before 1500 AD.) It has a European Southern-temperate distribution.
Date: 18th, 22th, 25th April (& 4th June)
A small roadside plant. Flower in terminal open inflorescence.
Another smaller plant.
Leaves simple.
There are hairs on the leaf margin. Margin sparsely toothed. Note the stem is square in cross-section.
Leaves at the base of the plant.
Photo enlarged below to see the details of the flowers.
Flower bud. (in the middle of the photo)
Side view of an individual flower. 5 petals.
Side view of the inflorescence showing the bracts.
5 petals, 3 stamens and 1 style.
Another photo enlarged below.
There are 5 petals, 3 stamens and 1 style for each flower.
The bracts and the inflorescence. Enlarged below to see the details of the flowers.
Side view of the flower. Note there are 3 stigmas for each style.
Another flower enlarged below.
Fresh anthers are pink.
Fruit appears now in the fork of the branch. Note the shape of the ripe fruits are the only way to distinguish the five Valerianella spp in UK.
This is a developing fruit, not a ripe one. But you could see that the length of the nut is nearly twice that of its width, and there is a groove on one side (the left side of the above photo.) (vs the nut is nearly spherical in Valerianella locusta 高苣纈草, 野苣, 羊萵苣, common cornsalad.)
Another specimen, enlarged below to see the shape of the fruit.
The length of the nut is nearly twice that of its width, and there is a groove on one side (the right side of the above photo.)
One more specimen enlarged below to see the fruit.
Another one.
The shape of this fruit looks a bit different from the other specimens. Maybe the nut is still developing. Groove could be seen in this nut.
Another angle of the same inflorescence and fruit.
The groove could be clearly seen on it. (the bottom side of this photo)
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