''Datisca cannabina'', called false hemp, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''
Datisca
The Datiscaceae are a family of dicotyledonous plants, containing two species of the genus ''Datisca''. Two other genera, ''Octomeles'' and ''Tetrameles'', are now classified in the family Tetramelaceae.
Datiscaceae are large herbaceous plants, ...
'', family
Datiscaceae
The Datiscaceae are a family of dicotyledonous plants, containing two species of the genus ''Datisca''. Two other genera, ''Octomeles'' and ''Tetrameles'', are now classified in the family Tetramelaceae.
Datiscaceae are large herbaceous plants, ...
, native to the Aegean Islands, Crete, Cyprus, Anatolia, the Levant, the Transcaucasus, Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the western Himalayas and Nepal.
It is one of the very few species known to have true
androdioecy
Androdioecy is a reproductive system characterized by the coexistence of males and hermaphrodites. Androdioecy is rare in comparison with the other major reproductive systems: dioecy, gynodioecy and hermaphroditism. In animals, androdioecy has bee ...
, meaning it has a mix of male and hermaphroditic individuals. Local artisans use its roots to produce a fast yellow dye.
File:Datisca cannabina 001.JPG, Growth form
File:Datisca cannabina.jpg, Top
File:Datisca cannabina fruits.jpg, In fruit
File:Datisca cannabina seeds, by Omar Hoftun.jpg, Seeds
References
Datiscaceae
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Plants described in 1753
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