Torilis arvensis is an annual herb 30-100 cm tall. It reproduces by seeds. The stems are slender, branching, pubescent, and green in color.
It is easily identified by its slender hairy stems and the open compound umbel of tiny white flowers with a red or pinkish hue.
Hedge Parsley Classification
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Dicotyledonae
- Order: Apiales
- Family: Apiaceae
- Genus: Torilis
- Species: Torilis arvensis
- Varieties: Torilis arvensis var. elongata, Torilis arvensis var. recta, Torilis arvensis var. heterophylla, and Torilis arvensis var. neglecta
- Common Names: Common hedge parsley, Spreading hedge parsley, Field hedge parsley, Sock bane, and Tall sock bane.
Nativity and Distribution
Hedge parsley is native to Europe and Asia. Today, it can also be found in:
- Australia
- North America
- South America
- South Africa
Physical Characteristics
- Leaves: Compound leaves with dentate or lobed margins
- Fruits: Oblong green or pinkish with straight or curved bristles
- Stems: Herbaceous. Can grow up to 1m tall.
- Flowers: Arranged in an open and loose compound umbel
- Roots: Tap root system
Torilis arvensis is an annual herb with an erect habit to 1m in height. It is easily recognized by its slender and rough-haired stem and the open compound umbel of tiny white flowers with a red or pinkish hue.
Stems are erect, cylindrical, green in color, covered in bristly hairs, and heavily branching. The leaves are alternate, triangular-shaped, pinnately or bipinnately compound with trifoliate leaflets.
The leaflets are ovate to linear-lanceolate, hairy, about 19mm wide and 50-60mm long, regularly divided with toothed margins.
The inflorescence is on an open and loose compound umbel. The tiny white flowers (2-3mm wide) are arranged into 3-5 clusters that form a broad domed appearance. Each flower has five stamens and five unequal petals with a red or pinkish hue. Flowering occurs between July and October.
The seeds are brown, oblong to ovoid, 2-6mm long, and covered with straight to curved bristles.
Reproduction, Dispersal, and Life Cycle
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Seeds: One flower produces two seeds
- Climate: Temperate zones
- Dispersal: Explosive mechanism and bristles that stick on animal fur and human clothing
Torilis arvensis behaves as an annual weed and reproduces by seeds. Each flower produces 2 seeds which are generally viable.
When mature, the mericarp splits open, ejecting the seeds a distance away from the parent plant. The bristles help the seeds attach to animal fur or human clothing, further dispersing them to new locations.
The seeds can grow up to a depth of 5 cm below the soil surface. Seeds at greater depth remain viable for 3-5 years. They can also be spread by wind and water.
Similar Plants
- Torilis leptophylla
- Torilis japonica
- Daucus carota
- Anthriscus sylvestris
- Heracleum sphondylium
Uses
- It is planted in flower gardens as a pollinator plant.
- It is occasionally consumed by livestock.
- It is consumed raw in salads or as a roasted seasoning in some cultures.
- It can be used for soil stabilization and erosion control in disturbed areas.
- It was used as a medicinal herb to treat ailments like colds and fevers.
Impact on Farms and Environment
T. arvensis is a nuisance weed in cereal crop farms, often contaminating and reducing yields. Additionally, due to its rapid growth, it can colonize new areas, hindering growth and establishment of desirables in farmlands or gardens.
The weed poses a serious threat to livestock on rangelands as the hooked burs attach to their fur causing discomfort or injury when ingested.
In areas where it significantly proliferates, hedge parsley may also release pollen that can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Spreading hedge parsley is also a weed of meadows, forests, roadsides, and waste areas, hindering movement and negatively impacting local biodiversity.
Control
- Mechanical control: Hand pulling or mowing
- Cultural control: Harvesting after seed set
- Chemical control: Herbicides like Triclopyr, Metsulfuron-methyl, or glyphosate
Repeated hand-pulling or mowing before the plant flowers can prevent seed set and hence, reduce the infestation. Tillage provides better control for larger infestations on open lands.
If the weed is growing within a crop, it’s best to harvest it after hedge parsley has set seed, to minimize contamination.
Chemical herbicides containing triclopyr, metsulfuron-methyl, or glyphosate can also be effective in controlling the weed.
When using any herbicide, read the label and follow all the application instructions for the best control results. If you’re unsure which herbicide to use for your farmland, consult an expert.
There are no biological control agents for the management of Torilis arvensis.
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.