Cerfolium

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Cerfolium

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Ptychotis verticillata
• Ptychotis ammoides
• Petroselinum ammoides
• Ammoides pusilla var. trachysperma
• Ammoides verticillata var. pusilla
• Ptychotis ammoides var. pusilla
• Seseli ammoides
• Seseli corsicum
• Apium ammios
• Ammoides leiocarpa
• Apium ammoides
• Ammoides verticillata
• Ammoides verticillata var. trachysperma
• Seseli pusillum
• Carum ammoides
• Critamus ammoides
• Ammoides verticillata f. elata
• Ptychotis corsica
• Ptychotis trachysperma
• Ptychotis morisiana
• Ptychotis aspera

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Ammoides pusilla, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Apiales. It is a member of the family Apiaceae and falls under the genus Ammoides.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a scattered geographical distribution across several distinct regions of Europe. In Middle Europe, its presence is specifically noted within Germany. The species also inhabits various parts of Southwestern Europe, including France and Portugal. Furthermore, it can be found on several Mediterranean islands such as Corse and Sardegna. Together, these locations define the specific range where the species occurs naturally.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Ammoides pusilla is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, the plant survives the unfavorable periods of its environment by existing solely as a seed, which remains dormant until conditions become suitable for rapid growth. This life form strategy allows the species to exploit ephemeral resources, ensuring that it reaches maturity and disperses its progeny before the onset of seasonal stress or senescence.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Ammoides pusilla is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, presenting a structure that is entirely non-woody in nature. As a terrestrial plant, it lacks aquatic or semiaquatic adaptations, thriving instead in land-based habitats. The species functions as an independent organism, exhibiting no parasitic tendencies, and it grows in a self-supporting manner rather than acting as a climber, liana, or vine. Furthermore, it is strictly terrestrial in its ecological positioning, lacking any epiphytic characteristics.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ammoides pusilla is characterized by a standard C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic strategy common among most temperate herbaceous species. In this pathway, the initial fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide occurs through the enzyme Rubisco, which reacts CO2 with ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate to produce 3-phosphoglycerate. This process takes place within the mesophyll cells and is highly dependent on environmental conditions such as light intensity, temperature, and moisture availability. Because it lacks the specialized carbon-concentrating mechanisms found in C4 or CAM plants, its photosynthetic efficiency is closely tied to the regulation of stomatal conductance to balance carbon uptake with transpirational water loss.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ammoides pusilla is characterized by the production of extremely fine seeds, which play a critical role in its dispersal and establishment. Quantitative analysis of its reproductive output reveals a highly consistent seed morphology, with a recorded seed mass mean of 0.00028 g. This uniformity is further evidenced by the fact that both the maximum and minimum recorded seed mass values are identical at 0.00028 g, indicating a very narrow range of variation in seed weight within the studied population. Such minimal seed mass suggests that the plant likely relies on efficient dispersal mechanisms suitable for lightweight particles, ensuring the distribution of offspring across its habitat.

Seed mass mean:

0.00028 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Ammoides pusilla has 9 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CARVACROL, THYMOL, P-CYMENE, 5-O-Caffeoylquinic acid, D-Limonene.

CARVACROL

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture
3. Heliyon
4. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
5. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.]

THYMOL

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
3. Heliyon
4. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.]
5. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

P-CYMENE

1. Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture
2. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine

5-O-Caffeoylquinic acid

1. Food & function

D-Limonene

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

LIMONENE

1. Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture

M-CYMENE

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Terpenes

1. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine

glucose

1. Die Pharmazie

Activities

Ammoides pusilla has 5 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antifungal, Antimicrobial, Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Antiviral.

Antifungal

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture

Antimicrobial

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture

Antibacterial

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiviral

1. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine

Medicinal Uses

Ammoides pusilla has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cold, fever, genital diseases, oxidative stress, respiratory diseases.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations