Flora of Israel: Picris asplenioides

Picris asplenioides, Picris radicata, Oxtongue,
Hebrew: מררית שסועה, Arabic: حوذان

Scientific name:   Picris asplenioides L.
Synonym name:   Picris radicata (Forssk.) Less.
Common name:   Oxtongue
Hebrew name:   מררית שסועה
Arabic name:   حوذان
Family:   Compositae / Asteraceae, מורכבים


Life form:   Therophyte, annual
Stems:   Erect or diffuse, branched from the base and sulcate
Leaves:   Alternate, dissected, pinnate, dentate or serrate
Flowers:   Yellow
Fruits / pods:   Dimorphic achene
Flowering Period:   March, April
Habitat:   Sand
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes
Chorotype:   Saharo-Arabian
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Picris, Greek picros, bitter, from the bitter taste of the plant.

asplenioides, asplenios, asplenos, ασπλενοϛ (ασπλενιοϛ) literally: without spleen, allegedly a curative of spleen problems, spleenword, named by Pliny and Discorides and taken by Linnaeus to be Asplenium ceterach; Asplenium like.
radicata, radico, to take root; having roots.
The Hebrew name: מררית, mararit, from מרר, mrar (= to be bitter); properly loan translation of the Latin name Picris (=a bitter herb), from Greek pikris, from pikros (= bitter).

  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation Forssk. is used to indicate Peter Forsskål (1732 – 1763), a Swedish explorer, orientalist and naturalist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Less. is used to indicate Christian Friedrich Lessing (1809 – 1862), a German botanist.