field holly

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• field eryngo
• Watling Street Thistle
• eryngo
• sea-holly
• white-devil

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Apiales, it is classified under the family Apiaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Eryngium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across several different regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, it can be found growing in Denmark, Great Britain, and Sweden. Its range also extends into Middle Europe, where it inhabits various landscapes. Specifically, populations of the species are documented in Austria. Additionally, the plant is known to be present within the borders of Belgium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Eryngium campestre is characterized by its preference for lowland environments, where it often thrives in open, disturbed, or sandy habitats such as dunes, heathlands, and dry grasslands. It is a resilient species capable of enduring nutrient-poor soils and significant solar exposure. Regarding its symbiotic relationships with soil fungi, this plant does not form mycorrhizal associations, meaning it lacks the specialized fungal partnerships typically used by many other vascular plants to enhance nutrient uptake. Instead, it relies on its own robust root system to navigate the specific edaphic conditions of its lowland ecological niche.

Habitat :

Lowland

Mycorrhiza :

no

Life history

The life history of Eryngium campestre is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. It functions as a hemicryptophyte, a life form where the perennating buds are located at the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or soil. This species maintains an evergreen deciduousness, retaining its foliage to support its long-term survival and growth patterns within its ecological niche.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Eryngium campestre is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb, functioning as a self-supporting plant that does not require external climbing structures. This terrestrial species is independent in its nutritional requirements, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte. In terms of stature, it exhibits moderate vertical development, with a plant height that typically ranges from a minimum of 0.15 m to a maximum of 0.7 m, maintaining an average height of approximately 0.281 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.7 m

Plant height mean:

0.281 m

Plant height min:

0.15 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Eryngium campestre is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic strategy typical of many temperate species that facilitates carbon fixation under moderate environmental conditions. The plant exhibits a non-carnivorous nutritional strategy and does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on soil nutrient uptake. Its leaf morphology plays a significant role in its resource management, with a mean leaf size of approximately 320.0042 cm² and a maximum leaf length reaching up to 12 cm. Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 93.8 cm²/g, a physiological metric that reflects its leaf thickness and the efficiency of its light-harvesting capabilities in relation to its biomass.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

12 cm

Leaf size mean:

320.0042 cm²

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

93.8 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Eryngium campestre is characterized by a sexual process, as both asexual reproduction and self-fertilization are noted to be absent. The flowering period typically begins in July and extends through September. The plant relies on biotic pollination syndromes, specifically utilizing insects, with bees identified as a key pollinator. Following pollination, the plant produces dry fruits with an average width of 0.2 cm. The resulting seeds are quite small, with a mean mass of approximately 0.0015793335 g, ranging from a minimum of 0.00066 g to a maximum of 0.003 g. Dispersal of these seeds follows an unspecialized syndrome, suggesting that the plant does not rely on highly specific mechanisms for the distribution of its progeny.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Sep

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit width mean:

0.2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

0.003 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0015793335 g

Seed mass min:

0.00066 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Eryngium campestre has 3 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root, seed.

Leaf

1. Journal of plant research

Root

1. Journal of natural products

Seed

1. Journal of plant research

Chemicals

Eryngium campestre has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include NONANOIC ACID, Spathulenol.

NONANOIC ACID

1. Journal of food science and technology

Spathulenol

1. Journal of food science and technology

Preparations

Eryngium campestre has 1 reported preparations identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include roots.

Roots

1. Journal of natural products