Flora canaria > Especies silvestres
Torilis arvensis
Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link ssp. arvensis
Familia
APIACEAE
Torilis arvensis, commonly known as ‘perejil borriquero’, ‘bardanilla’ or ‘cachurros’, is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Apiaceae family. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, although it has been introduced to other regions such as North America, where it often behaves as an invasive weed.
It has an erect, branched stem that can grow to between 20 and 150 cm in height. Its deep green leaves are deeply divided into narrow segments, visually resembling traditional parsley.
Its flowers are small, white or slightly pinkish (or reddish in certain varieties), grouped in umbrella-shaped inflorescences known as umbels. It flowers mainly between spring and summer (May to August).
The most characteristic feature of the species is its small, ovoid fruits bristling with hooked spines. These cling extremely easily to animal fur and human clothing, ensuring their dispersal through a mechanism known as zoochory.
It grows profusely in ruderal and nitrophilous environments: roadside verges, ditches, wasteland, abandoned farmland and sunny grasslands, ranging from sea level up to an altitude of 1,600 metres.
Ecologically, it serves as a food source for the caterpillars of various butterfly species. It has no nutritional value for humans and is usually classified as a weed in agriculture due to its ability to spread rapidly in cereal crops.
Tenerife, Fuerteventura
Torilis arvensis, commonly known as ‘perejil borriquero’, ‘bardanilla’ or ‘cachurros’, is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Apiaceae family. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, although it has been introduced to other regions such as North America, where it often behaves as an invasive weed.
It has an erect, branched stem that can grow to between 20 and 150 cm in height. Its deep green leaves are deeply divided into narrow segments, visually resembling traditional parsley.
Its flowers are small, white or slightly pinkish (or reddish in certain varieties), grouped in umbrella-shaped inflorescences known as umbels. It flowers mainly between spring and summer (May to August).
The most characteristic feature of the species is its small, ovoid fruits bristling with hooked spines. These cling extremely easily to animal fur and human clothing, ensuring their dispersal through a mechanism known as zoochory.
It grows profusely in ruderal and nitrophilous environments: roadside verges, ditches, wasteland, abandoned farmland and sunny grasslands, ranging from sea level up to an altitude of 1,600 metres.
Ecologically, it serves as a food source for the caterpillars of various butterfly species. It has no nutritional value for humans and is usually classified as a weed in agriculture due to its ability to spread rapidly in cereal crops.
Tenerife, Fuerteventura
