Torilis japonica - Upright hedge-parsley

Family: Apiacea (Umbelliferae) Carrot ^[E-flora]

"Torilis japonica is a ANNUAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects, self. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil." ^[PFAF]

"General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, several, bristly, 0.3-1.2 m tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Leaves: Stem leaves 1-3 times pinnately cut, dissected into small, narrow ultimate segments without well-defined leaflets, upper leaf sheaths entire." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Habitat / Range Mesic disturbed sites or open forests in the lowland and montane zones; rare, known only from the Gulf Islands and Agassiz; introduced from Japan." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Status: Exotic ^[E-flora]

Edible Uses

• Leaves
  • "Leaves - cooked[105, 177]." ^[PFAF]
• Root
  • "Root - peeled and eaten raw[105, 177]. Although we have no record of the seed being edible, there is a report that it contains 16 - 21% protein and 10 - 23% fat[218]." ^[PFAF]

Medicinal Uses

• Digestive Aid
  • "The juice of the root is used in the treatment of indigestion[272]." ^[PFAF]
• Seed
  • "The seed is anthelmintic, antifungal, antiviral, expectorant and tonic[218, 279]. It is used in Korea in the treatment of amnesia, pruritis, acidosis and scabies[279]." ^[PFAF]

Synonyms

• Torilis anthriscus. ^[PFAF]
• Caucalis anthriscus. ^[PFAF]

References

• [E-flora] Torilis japonica, https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Torilis%20japonica&redblue=Both&lifeform=7, Accessed March 23, 2021
• [PFAF] Torilis japonica, Plants for a future, Accessed November 17, 2014; March 23, 2021
  
  • [17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
  • [105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
  • [177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.
  • [218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China
  • [272]Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal
  • [279] Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea

TORILIS - Hedge-parsley

"Annual, taprooted, hairy or bristly. Stem: spreading or erect, branched. Leaf: blade lanceolate to triangular, 1-pinnately dissected. Inflorescence: umbels compound, terminal or opposite leaves, peduncled or sessile; bracts generally 0 or small; bractlets several, thread-like to linear; rays 0–few, spreading-ascending; pedicels 0 or short. Flower: generally +/- bilateral; calyx lobes 0 or evident; petals obcordate, white or +/- red, tips narrowed, outer petals +/- > others; styles short. Fruit: oblong to ovate, +/- compressed side-to-side; 1^o ribs thread-like, prickly, 2^o ribs densely prickly or tubercled; oil tubes 1 per rib interval; fruit axis divided in distal 1/2. Seed: face grooved.
10–15 species: Eurasia. (Name used by Adanson in 1763, meaning obscure)" ^[Jepson]

Local Species

1. Torilis arvensis - Spreading hedge-parsley ^[E-flora]
2. Torilis japonica - upright hedge-parsley ^[E-flora]

Taxanomic Key

• 1. Fruits 3-4 mm long with more or less straight spines minutely hooked at the tips T. arvensis
• 1. Fruits 2-2.5 mm long with curved spines not hooked at the tips T. japonica ^[E-flora]

References

• [Jepson] 2013. Torilis, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=10232, accessed on Jan 28 2015

Torilis arvensis - Spreading hedge-parsley

"General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, several, more or less hairy, branched, 20-50 cm tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Leaves: Stem leaves 2-3 times pinnately cut, 7-20 cm long, including the 2-8 cm stalks; leaflets lanceolate to egg-shaped; upper stem leaves usually 1-pinnate." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry roadsides and waste places in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known only from the lower Fraser Valley; introduced from Eurasia." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Status: Exotic ^[E-flora]

References

• [E-flora] Torilis arvensis, https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Torilis%20arvensis&redblue=Both&lifeform=7, Accessed March 23, 2021