SCORZONERA L.BLACK SALSIFY

SCORZONERA L. - BLACK SALSIFY

Scientific Description:

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, rarely suffruticose, subscapigerous or caulescent; rootstock thick, cylindrical, rhizomatous or tuberous. Leaves radical or cauline, simple and entire, linear to broadly ovate-lanceolate, or deeply divided, petiolate or sessile. Capitula homogamous, ligulate, solitary or several per stem. Involucre ovate or cylindrical; phyllaries 2-seriate, inner longer than outer, herbaceous. Receptacle naked, ± flat. Flowers whitish to yellow, violet to purple, or yellow with a purple tube. Achenes cylindrical, smooth or ribbed, sometimes transversely lamellate-rugulose, glabrous or hairy, beakless, stipitate or sessile. Pappus 3-seriate, sessile, hairs plumose, sometimes barbellate above, or entirely barbellate.

Reference:
Chamberlain DF (1975). Scorzonera L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 5: 632.

Public Description:

Scorzonera is a genus of annual, biennial or perennial herbs, known as “black salsify”, and is distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa, but center of diversity is in the Mediterranean. There are approximately 199 species in the world and 48 species (57 taxa) in Türkiye. Black salsify is one of the most distinctly-flavored root vegetable. Many species are edible and delicious. The roots also contain high amounts of high quality latex that can be used in rubber making.

References:

Anonymous 1 (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorzonera/, Accessed date: 22.01.2016.

Anonymous 2 (2016). http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Compositae/Scorzonera//, Accessed date: 22.01.2016.

Makbul S (2012). Scorzonera L. In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 195–199.