''Forsskaolea'' is a small

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of 7 species of

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s in the

nettle family The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeria ...

with non-stinging hairs and dot-like concretions of mineral matter on their green parts. The genus was named in honor of Swedish botanist

Peter Forsskål Peter Forsskål, sometimes spelled Pehr Forsskål, Peter Forskaol, Petrus Forskål or Pehr Forsskåhl (11 January 1732 – 11 July 1763) was a Sweden, Swedish exploration, explorer, oriental studies, orientalist, natural history, naturalist, and ...

Description

;Leaves: The leaves have three ribs, are alternate, scalloped and with toothlike projections along the edges. ;Flowers: Budding flowers are flat-topped clusters and bisexual and from the base stem, enclosed in bell shaped, densely hairy, rings of 3-6 bracts. Flowers are minute and unisexual with the female surrounded by a ring of male flowers. Male flowers have 3-5 lobed calyx and the females have none. Solitary stamen, upright wooly ovaries with no style. ;Seeds:

Achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

s oval to elliptical, flattened, densely hairy and enveloped in wooly bracts.

Distribution

''Forsskaolea'' have found homes in the southern parts of the

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

from the

Canary Isles The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the continent being 100 kilometres (62 mi ...

and southeast Spain then eastwards to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and western

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Species

Species accepted by the

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

as of December 2022: *'' Forsskaolea angustifolia'' Retz. *'' Forsskaolea candida'' L.f. *''

Forsskaolea griersonii ''Forsskaolea'' is a small genus of 7 species of perennial herbs in the nettle family with non-stinging hairs and dot-like concretions of mineral matter on their green parts. The genus was named in honor of Swedish botanist Peter Forsskål. Des ...

'' A.G.Mill. & J.A.Nyberg *'' Forsskaolea hereroensis'' Schinz *'' Forsskaolea procridifolia'' Webb *'' Forsskaolea tenacissima'' L. *'' Forsskaolea viridis'' Ehrenb. ex Webb

References

External links

* * * Urticaceae genera {{urticaceae-stub