False Thorow-wax

False Thorow-wax, Hampstead Heath

Umbels with large yellow bracts

Close-up of petal-less flowers

Umbels, bracts and lower leaves

Yellow bract

Upper leaves with 'thorow' stems

Lower leaves
Bupleurum subovatum
Apiaceae
April to August
In Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland (2003), Blamey,
Blamey and Fitter state that it flowers from June to
August, but the plants shown here were flowering in
mid April.
It is very thinly scattered throughout the country.
See the BSBI distribution map for False Thorow-wax
It is a neophyte, which was introduced from the
Mediterranea n region in the 1850s.
It occurs as a casual in gardens, on waste ground
and on rubbish tips.
The pictures shown here were of an extensive patch
of plants on Hampstead Heath, London.
It is an infrequent constituent of wild bird seed and
this may account for its widespread but unusual
occurrence.
False Thorow-wax is an annual, waxy, patch-forming
herb, growing up to 30cm.
The small yellow flowers are in umbels above broad
yellow-green, petal-like bracts.
The flowers have no petals.
The upper leaves are large and almost round.
The lower leaves are a darker green, broadly oval with
small teeth.
Stems are hairy and appear to grow through the upper
leaves – hence ‘thorow’.
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