Tordylium-apulum_1

Description:

Tordylium apulum L.Family: Apiaceae Lindl. (Umbelliferae)EN: Mediterranean hartwort; DE: Echter Zirmet, Apulischer ZirmetSlo.: pravi cirmetDat.: April 26. 2006Lat.: 44.37958 Long.: 14.78444Code: Bot_0117/2006_DSC0202Habitat: abandoned fields among dry stone walls, semiruderal, flat terrain; calcareous, skeletal ground; mostly sunny and dry place, average precipitations ~ 950 mm/year, average temperature 12-14 deg C, elevations 23 m (75 feet), Sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil.Place: Adriatic Sea, island Olib, northeast of village Olib, next to the road to Slatenica beach, West Zadar archipelago, Dalmatia, Croatia. Comments (pertain to pictures in Flicker album Tordylium apulum): Tordylium apulum is a native to Mediterranean and belongs to the family (Apiaceae) commonly known as celery, carrot, or parsley. It flowers in characteristically shaped, almost flat compound umbels with only a few first order rays. A few outer flowers have a single 2-lobed petal, which is much, much larger than the rest of them. This gives to the umbels their characteristic look. Also its thick fruits with beaded margin are decoratively very interesting. The picture 3b shows still not completely ripe fruits, which later become brownish. It is believed that they inspired the goldsmith creator of the famous gold pendant 'Malia Pendant' from Minoan civilization (Ref.: 3), 1800-1650 BC. The pendant shows two stylized wasps or bees. From them dangle three small discs resembling the fruits of Tordylium apulum. Thematically, the whole speaks about honey, which was a very important nutrition in the Minoan culture. Tordylium apulum is an important honey plant.Ref.:(1) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 408. (2) M. Blamey, C. Grey-Wilson, Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean, A & C Black, London (2005), p 162.(3) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malia_Pendant (accessed March 29. 2023)(4) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tordylium_apulum (accessed March 29. 2023)