Coriandrum sativum L. map
Linnaeus, Sp. pl.: 256 (1753). – Type: Burser herbarium VIII:38 (UPS) lectotype, sel. by Jansen, Spices, Cond. Med. Pl. Ethiopia: 60 (1981).
D Koriander. F korianteri. N koriander. S koriander.
Therophyte (summer-annual). Glabrous, heterophyllous herb, to 50(–100) cm, with a foetid odour as fresh (aromatic or slightly sour when dry). Stem terete or angular, solid. Lower leaves simple or 1-pinnate, with 1(–3) pairs of leaflets; petiole 3–9 cm; blade 3–7.5(–14) × 2.5–4.5(–7) cm (length/width ratio 0.9–2.2). Apical leaflet entire or 3-lobed; petiolule 13–24 mm; blade 20–35 × 23–38 mm (length/width ratio 0.8–1); margin with acuminate to mucronate, whitish or slightly purplish teeth; base broadly attenuate; apex obtuse. Ultimate lobes 1.6–3.1 × 1.7–2.7 mm, with a length/width ratio of 0.7–1.1 (in upper leaves 4–9 × 0.6–1.3 mm, with a length/width ratio of 4.1–11).
Umbels slightly convex; rays straight or slightly inwards-curved. Bracts 0–2, small. Umbellules 4–6. Bractlets usually 3, small, assembled on the of the ray. Flowers 11–16 per umbellule, distinctly zygomorphic (both sepals and petals); sepals 0.8–1.8 mm; petals white or red-tinged, 2.8–4.2 mm, bifid; anthers 0.5–0.7 mm. Fruit almost globose, straw-coloured, with mericarps usually not separating at dehiscence, and sepals persistent. Mericarps 3.1–4.2 × 3.2–4.1 mm; primary ridges 5, indistinct, undulating; secondary ridges 6, straight, slightly more distinct than the primary ones; stylopodia adjacent to each other, narrowly conical; style 1.4–2 mm, outwards-directed to deflexed. – Late summer to autumn.
[2n=22]
Distribution and habitat. Nem–SBor(–MBor). – Escaped from cultivation, and also brought in to harbours, ballast places and mills, but probably underrecorded; temporarily established on seashore in S Sk Säby. – D scattered in Sjæ København, fairly rare in the rest of Sjæ, rare to very rare in all other regions. N He Stange; rare along the coast from Øf Fredrikstad to SF Lærdal, ST Skaun and Trondheim; NNo Bodø, Tr Harstad 1952 (seashore) and Tromsø. S scattered in the south, partly on sandy seashores (Sk Säby 1949 and 1972 but not found 2008, Sankt Ibb 1949, Gtl Fårö 1973); inland occurrences north to Dls, Nrk and Upl, and in the Bothnian lowland, northernmost records Nb Nederkalix and Överluleå (both 1996, refuse tips). F recorded more than 50 times from over 20 places, especially in towns in the south, from railways, harbours and other loading places, dumps and mills, north to EP Vaasa and ES Savonlinna, OP Oulu 1887, 1935, 1989; twice on seashore rubbish (U Pyhtää 1965 + ?***).
Cultivated as a spice and medicinal plant since ancient time, and escaped from cultivation or introduced in most regions of the world. Origin uncertain, perhaps E Mediterranean or SW Asia.
Similar taxa. Young plants of Coriandrum sativum may be very similar to Petroselinum crispum, but the leaf-blades are usually whitish beneath, the lower primary leaflets are sessile or shortly petiolulate and the ultimate lobes usually do not cover each other (P. crispum leaves are green on both sides, primary leaflets have long petiolules, and ultimate lobes usually cover each other at least in crispate morphotypes). – See also under Bifora (rare casuals).