About Tordylium maximum L.
Tordylium maximum L. is a bristly or hairy annual or biennial that reaches heights of 30 to 130 cm (1.0 to 4.3 ft). It typically has a hollow, ridged, branched stem. Its lower leaves are pinnate, bearing two to five pairs of coarsely toothed leaflets, while upper leaves may be reduced to just a single leaflet. Flowers form flat umbels with 5 to 15 rays. Like all other species in the genus Tordylium, this plant has white flowers, with outer flowers of the umbel bearing much longer petals on their outer side. The fruits of Tordylium maximum L. measure 5 to 8 mm (0.20 to 0.31 in) in length. This species occurs naturally in south and south-central Europe, and is probably not native to the northern areas of its observed range. It has been recorded in south-east England, with only a single known location in south Essex where it has been found since 1875.
