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Ligusticum scothicum L. map
Linnaeus, Sp. Pl.: 250 (1753). – Ligusticum scoticum L. (1759), orth. var. – Haloscias scothicum (L.) Fr. (1846). – Type: Clifford Herbarium 97, Ligusticum 3 (BM) lectotype, sel. by Reduron & Jarvis, Regnum Veg. 127: 61 (1993).
D lostik. F rantaputki. Fa skotsk meistaraurt. I sæhvönn. N strandkjeks. S strandloka.
Literature. Cedergren-Gelting 1993, Hinneri & Santamala 2000, Lampolahti & Suominen 1996.
Hemicryptophyte. Perennial, very aromatic glabrous herb, to 50 cm (occasionally taller), usually with numerous short vegetative shoots at the base; taproot 7–15 mm thick, simple or branched. Stem hollow; basal part 4–7 mm thick, weakly sulcate, shiningly purplish (not glaucous), sometimes with remains of dead leaves; upper internodes indistinctly sulcate, mostly green. Leaves 2–4 at base and 2–4 on the stem (one of the basal leaves or the lowest stem leaf is the largest); sheaths narrow, the lower ones shining purplish, the upper ones with pale purplish to pink margins; petiole (2–)5–20(–25) cm; blade 1–2-ternate, 5–14(–24) × 6–17(–22) cm (length/width ratio 0.8–1.1), deep green above, somewhat glaucous below. Primary leaflets divided into ± rhombic or trullate lobes/leaflets; angle leaflet/rachis 30–45(–60)°; petiolule 20–45(–60) mm in the middle leaflet, 15–35(–50) mm in the two lateral ones. Secondary ultimate leaflets entire or 2–3-lobed (cut halfway to the base or less); petiolule 0–20 mm; blade 25–60 × 20–50 mm (length/width ratio 1–1.5); base attenuate (usually shortly so, rarely truncate); apices obtuse to acute; margin flat, crenate to serrate with pinkish-tipped teeth.
Umbels flat or slightly convex, 1.5–2.5 cm high, 3–7 cm wide; peduncle 5–15(–20) cm, very distinctly papillose just below the umbel, elsewhere indistinctly papillose to nearly smooth; rays mostly straight to irregularly curved, 2–5 cm, sulcate, distinctly papillose at base but otherwise indistinctly papillose to smooth. Bracts 4–10(–12), persistent, 15 × 1 mm; border membranous, often pink. Umbellules (7–)9–13(–15); pedicels 0.5–1 cm, distinctly papillose (especially at the ends). Bractlets (5–)6–10(–12), ± persistent, 5–9 × 0.4–0.9 mm; border membranous, pink. Flowers not zygomorphic, (20–)25–35 per umbellule; sepals 0.2–0.3 mm, triangular to cordate with pale margin and apex, persistent; petals white, distinctly pink in bud, 1.6–2 × 0.8–1 mm, emarginate (apical cut 0.1–0.2 mm deep); filaments 1.4–1.8 mm; anthers 0.3–0.6 mm. Fruit elliptic in outline, glabrous, smooth; carpophore filiform, divided. Mericarps 4–5 × 1.5–2 × 0.7–1 mm (length/width ratio 1.8–2.5); ridges in cross section high and narrow, sharp-edged; stylopodium low-conical, 0.8–1.1 mm wide; style 0.4–0.6 mm, directed upwards to outwards. – Early summer to mid-summer.
2n=22 (N Vf). – [2n=22]
Distribution. Nem–NBor(–LAlp). Alt. N NT 450 m. – Mainly along the western coasts of Norden; in the Baltic a recent immigrant, probably brought in with shipping, subsequently spread with sea currents. D NJy scattered along the western coast and on Læsø, previously also on Hirsholmene; VJy Lemvig 1960. N common to frequent along the entire coast, but less frequent in the inner fjord parts of Ak and Bu. S common along the west coast south to northern Sk; along the east coast a recent immigrant: Bl Förkärla 1920’s (not established); scattered in northern Upl (known since 1947), Gst (since 1943), Hls (since 1946) and Ång Nora, Nordingrå and Själevad (since 1968). F first recorded in St Merikarvia 1968 and A Eckerö 1969; later in A Föglö (since 1992) and Kumlinge (since 1998), V Kustavi and Uusikaupunki (both since 1999), St Luvia (since 1994), EP Kristiinankaupunki (since 1996), Maalahti (since 1998), and U Helsinki (since 1992). Fa fairly common. I frequent along the western coast in IVe and western INv, rare in the other coastal provinces: ISu 3–4 records, IAu 4–5 records, and INo two records.
Amphi-Atlantic; in Europe from N British Isles and N Denmark to the White Sea and Kanin Peninsula; in North America from New York north to southern Labrador and in the James Bay parts of Hudson Bay, rare in S and SW Greenland; in the Northen Pacific the closely related Ligusticum hultenii Fernald (L. scothicum subsp. hultenii (Fernald) Calder & R.L. Taylor).
Habitat. A specialist of coastal cliffs, boulder and gravel shores, and marine drift-lines; occasionally up to the low alpine belt, in cliff crevices in coastal mountains (especially in western N from Ro north to SNo). Favoured by nutrients from drift and bird manure, and sometimes a co-dominant in manured sites.
Biology. Ligusticum scothicum fruits have excellent flotation tissue and the species is obviously spread mainly by sea; short distance dispersal with birds has also been suggested (Rydgren & Often 1993). Winter temperatures may be among the factors determining its southern limit (Crawford & Palin 1981). – In Scandinavia there is no tradition for use as a condiment, but some medical uses are recorded, i.e., to enhance pregnancy in cows (Høeg 1975).
Variation. No significant differences have been observed between the Baltic populations and the western ones.
Similar taxa. Ligusticum scothicum and Angelica archangelica grow in similar places and their resemblance may be confusing, when not in flower. Both smell good, but different (a good field character); L. scothicum is distinguished by dark green, ternate leaves and purplish sheaths, and its petioles and the lower parts of the stem are not as robust.
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