Fumaria: what to photograph for the identification / Fumaria: cosa fotografare per l'identificazione

Fumaria is usually considered a difficult genus as far as identification is concerned. It is mainly due to the small size of the characters that are useful for the identification and for the fact that often both flowers and fruits are needed.

I would be happy to try to help those iNat users that would like to get more insight into the identification of fumitories.

Here it is a brief list of characters tat are needed for the identification of fumitories.

1) corolla color, shape and length
2) upper petal shape
3) sepals shape and size (length and width)
4) dry fruit shape and size (length and width)
5) pedicel shape (straight, spreading or reflexed) and length at frutification in comparison with the bract
6) bract length and bract/pedicel ratio
7) flowers number for each inflorescence
8) peduncle/inflorescence ratio
9) leaflets shape

  • characters 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 should be measured and photographed with a linen tester or a stereomicroscope and a sheet of millimeter paper
  • fruits shape (surface smooth or rugose; overall shape) should be evaluated when fruits are dry. To do this, just put an infructescence in a paper bag or let it dry with some kitchen paper inside a book.

This post represents an example of how a Fumaria must be photographed for its identification:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5008697

References:
Lidén, M. 1986. Synopsis of Fumarioideae (Papaveraceae) with a monograph of the tribe Fumarieae. Opera Botanica 88: 1-133.
Lidén, M. 1986b. Fumaria L. In S. Castroviejo & al. (eds.): Flora Iberica 1: 447-467.
http://www.floraiberica.es/floraiberica/texto/pdfs/01_038_13_Fumaria.pdf

Fumaria è solitamente considerato un genere difficile per quanto riguarda l'identificazione. Ciò è dovuto principalmente alle piccole dimensioni dei caratteri che sono utili per l'identificazione e per il fatto che spesso sono necessari sia fiori che frutti.
Sarei felice di provare ad aiutare quegli utenti di iNat che vorrebbero ottenere maggiori informazioni sull'identificazione delle Fumaria.
Ecco un breve elenco dei caratteri necessari per l'identificazione.

1) colore, forma e lunghezza della corolla
2) forma del petalo superiore
3) Forma e dimensione dei sepali (lunghezza e larghezza)
4) forma e dimensione del frutto secco (lunghezza e larghezza)
5) forma del pedicello (dritto, patente o riflesso) e lunghezza alla fruttificazione rispetto alla brattea
6) lunghezza delle brattee e rapporto brattea/pedicello alla fruttificazione
7) numero di fiori per ogni infiorescenza
8) rapporto peduncolo/infiorescenza
9) Forma delle foglioline

  • i caratteri 1, 3, 4, 5 e 6 devono essere misurati e fotografati in modalità macro, ad esempio con una lente contafili o uno stereomicroscopio e un foglio di carta millimetrata o un altro riferimento metrico.
  • la forma dei frutti (superficie liscia o rugosa; forma complessiva) deve essere valutata quando i frutti sono secchi. Per fare questo, basta mettere un'infruttescenza in un sacchetto di carta o lasciarla asciugare con della carta da cucina all'interno di un libro.

Questo post rappresenta un esempio di come una Fumaria debba essere fotografata per la sua identificazione:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5008697

Bibliografia:
Lidén, M. 1986. Synopsis of Fumarioideae (Papaveraceae) with a monograph of the tribe Fumarieae. Opera Botanica 88: 1-133.
Lidén, M. 1986b. Fumaria L. In S. Castroviejo & al. (eds.): Flora Iberica 1: 447-467.
http://www.floraiberica.es/floraiberica/texto/pdfs/01_038_13_Fumaria.pdf

Posted on March 13, 2020 12:23 PM by blue_celery blue_celery

Comments

This is a tad overwhelming for the casual naturalist... but eventually I'll try to get this information for at least one of the Fumaria species around here. Thank you for the detailed instructions!

Posted by crpalma about 4 years ago

I can understand that this may appear difficult but this genus represent a challenge and it is something that can turn a casual naturalist into something else since in most cases just one photo is not enough and one have to deal with some botanical terms and with the necessity to collect a sample.

Posted by blue_celery about 4 years ago

always wondered how to identify them. Now I wonder if I ever even succeed to observate them sufficiently :-) Many thanks for sharing this

Posted by mobbini about 4 years ago

if you post all the required characters it should be possible to identify the plant, unless it is a very untypical form or something new

Posted by blue_celery about 4 years ago

thanks in advance for your help on that some day ;-)

Posted by mobbini about 4 years ago

Thank you - an extremely useful guide when I've been struggling with these taxa!

Posted by astrapia almost 4 years ago

you're welcome.
for the British Isles there is also this beautiful guide:
https://www.pemberleybooks.com/product/fumitories-of-britain-and-ireland/16795/

Posted by blue_celery almost 4 years ago

Thank you for the informative guide. I will try this next time I see them flowering :)

Posted by invertebratist about 2 years ago

you're welcome

Posted by blue_celery about 2 years ago

Many thanks

Posted by karimhaddad about 1 year ago
Posted by karimhaddad about 1 year ago

you're welcome

Posted by blue_celery about 1 year ago

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