Scandix pecten-veneris - Shepherd's Needles
Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Apiales - Family: Apiaceae
It is the shape of the seeds, or fruits, of this plant that give it its common name - they are sharply pointed and grow up to 80mm in length. The ray of flowers are uneven in size, the outer ones being much larger than the inner ones
Shepherd's Needles can often be found on roadsides, but this plant also grows in abandoned farmland and other grassy places. It flowers from January to July - a long flowering season for plants in the Mediterranean.
The sharply pointed fruit from which the plant gets its common name
This genus of the Apiaceae family comprises a number of species and all are found in the Mediterranean countries.
The plants shown on this page were photographed in Crete in early April.
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