Scorzonera humilis, the viper's-grass,[1] is a species of perennial plant. In Britain it is a rare plant, restricted to moist meadows, in Dorset and Warwick in England, and in South Wales.

Viper's grass
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Scorzonera
Species:
S. humilis
Binomial name
Scorzonera humilis
Synonyms
List
  • Hieracium scorzoneroides E.H.L.Krause
  • Podospermum scorzoneroides Turcz. ex DC.
  • Pseudopodospermum inaequiscapum (Boiss.) Zaika, Sukhor. & N.Kilian
  • Scorzonera acuminata Boiss. & Balansa
  • Scorzonera ahmet-duranii Makbul & Coșkunç.
  • Scorzonera aksekiensis A.Duran & M.Öztürk
  • Scorzonera alpina Pollini
  • Scorzonera bohemica F.W.Schmidt
  • Scorzonera candollei Vis.
  • Scorzonera candollei subsp. tenuifolia (Schrad. ex DC.) Nyman
  • Scorzonera clusii Asso
  • Scorzonera glastifolia Hegetschw.
  • Scorzonera hispanica var. clusii (Asso) Pau
  • Scorzonera humilis var. angustifolia Hoffmanns. & Link
  • Scorzonera humilis var. macrorrhiza (Schleich. ex Gaudin) Rouy
  • Scorzonera humilis subf. nana J.Erikson
  • Scorzonera humilis var. plantaginea (Gaudin) Schur
  • Scorzonera humilis var. ramosa Hoffmanns. & Link
  • Scorzonera humilis subsp. tenuifolia (Schrad. ex DC.) Arcang.
  • Scorzonera inaequiscapa Boiss.
  • Scorzonera lanata Schrank
  • Scorzonera lanuginosa Baumg.
  • Scorzonera macrorrhiza Schleich. ex Gaudin
  • Scorzonera nervosa Lam.
  • Scorzonera plantaginea Gaudin
  • Scorzonera plantaginifolia Schleich.
  • Scorzonera tenuifolia Schrad.

One unique class of stilbenoid derivative was first isolated from S. humilis. They were named the tyrolobibenzyls after Tyrol in the eastern Alps, where the plant was collected.[2]

Description

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It differs from goat's-beard, Tragopogon pratensis, in that it has short, pale green bracts, whereas in Goats Beard they are long and pointed.

It grows 7 to 50 cm.

The leaves are unbranched, elliptical-lanceolate.

The flower heads are 2.5 cm wide, and deep yellow in colour. Flowers from May until July.

The achenes are smooth ribbed, beakless, with similar pappus to Tragopogon pratensis.

It exudes a milky juice from its stem.

[3] [4]

References

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  1. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. ^ Zidorn, C.; et al. (2000). "Tyrolobibenzyls ‒ Novel secondary metabolites from Scorzonera humilis". Helvetica Chimica Acta. 83 (11): 2920–25. doi:10.1002/1522-2675(20001108)83:11<2920::AID-HLCA2920>3.0.CO;2-5. ISSN 0018-019X.
  3. ^ Blamey, Fitter, Fitter, Marjorie, Richard, Alistair (2003). Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland. A & C Black - London. pp. 294–295. ISBN 0-7136-5944-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Rose, Francis (1981). The Wild Flower Key. Frederick Warne & Co. pp. 390–391. ISBN 0-7232-2419-6.