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Taxon  Report  
Fumaria officinalis  L.
Drug fumitory
Fumaria officinalis is an annual herb that is not native to California.
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Bloom Period
Genus: Fumaria
Family: Papaveraceae  
(Fumariaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Habitat: disturbed

Communities: weed, characteristic of disturbed places

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Information about  Fumaria officinalis from other sources

[Wikipedia] Native to North Africa, Europe, Asia; Description, Taxonomy: Fumaria officinalis, the common fumitory, drug fumitory or earth smoke, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It is the most common species of the genus Fumaria in Western and Central Europe. Description It is an herbaceous annual plant that grows weakly erect and scrambling, with stalks about 10?50 cm (3.9?19.7 in) long. It has slender green leaves.[1] Its pink 7?9 mm (0.28?0.35 in) flowers appear from April to October in the northern hemisphere,[2] or May to September in the UK.[1] They are two lipped and spurred, with sepals running a quarter the length of the petals.[2] The plant commonly has more than 20 and up to 60 flowers per spike.[3] The fruit is an achene containing one seed. It is approximately globular, slightly wider than high and with an apical notch.[3] It contains alkaloids, potassium salts, and tannins and is also a source of fumaric acid.[4] Taxonomy It was first formally described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in his seminal publication 'Species Plantarum' on page 700, in 1753.[5][6] There are 2 known subspecies: Fumaria officinalis subsp. cilicica (Hausskn.) Lidén Fumaria officinalis subsp. wirtgenii (Koch) Arcang.[5] Etymology Flower and leaves of Fumaria officinalis The "smoky" or "fumy" origin of its name comes from the translucent color of its flowers, giving them the appearance of smoke or of hanging in smoke, and the slightly gray-blue haze color of its foliage, also resembling smoke coming from the ground, especially after morning dew. Distribution and habitat It is native to temperate regions of North Africa, Europe and parts of Western Asia.[8] (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/25/2024).