Reseda lutea

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 449. 1753.

Common names: Yellow or wild or cutleaf mignonette
WeedyIntroduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 7. Treatment on page 192. Mentioned on page 191, 193.

Plants annual or perennial, 30–80 cm, glabrous, papillose-scabrid, or hirtellous. Stems erect or ascendent, branched. Leaves: blade obovate, 4–10 × 1–2.5 cm, margins entire or ternately to biternately lobed (lobes 1–3 pairs, narrow-oblong or lanceolate-linear, margins flat or repand), surfaces scabrous or glabrous. Racemes 10–20(–50) cm; bracts caducous, oblong-linear, 2–4 mm. Pedicels 3–7 mm. Flowers (rarely polygamous); sepals persistent or tardily deciduous, (5–)6, not reflexed in fruit, linear-oblong, 3–4 mm; petals (5–)6, yellow, 2–5 mm, rounded-clawed, adaxial ones trisect, lateral lobes semilunate or falcate, margins entire or incised; stamens (12–)14–18; filaments deciduous, 1.5–3 mm, scabrid-papillose; intrastaminal nectary-discs pilose; anthers 0.9–1.5 mm; placenta entire. Capsules usually erect, 3-carpelled, cylindric or ovoid to subglobose, 7–15 × 4–6 mm, apically 3-toothed, glabrous or papillose, ribs scabrid. Seeds 1.4–2 mm, glossy, smooth (carunculate). 2n = 48.


Phenology: Flowering (Apr-)May–Sep.
Habitat: Grasslands, pastures, gravelly or shaley slopes, railroads, roadsides, mortared crevices in stone walls, disturbed areas, ballast ground, agricultural fields, usually on basic soils
Elevation: 0-1500 (-2500) m

Distribution

V7 247-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; B.C., Man., Ont., Sask., Ala., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., D.C., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., Utah, Vt., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Europe, sw Asia, n Africa, introduced also in South America, c Asia, s Africa, Australia.

Discussion

In Australia, Reseda lutea is considered an invasive introduction that causes damage to crops; research is being carried on for means to control its expansion. It has been used as a dye plant, to a lesser extent than R. luteola. It has been found to have antibacterial activity against some pathogens. There is also potential utility for phytoremediation in soils contaminated with copper.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Reseda lutea"
Santiago Martín-Bravo +, Gordon C. Tucker +  and Thomas F. Daniel +
Linnaeus +
Yellow or wild or cutleaf mignonette +
B.C. +, Man. +, Ont. +, Sask. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, D.C. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, Utah +, Vt. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Europe +, sw Asia +, n Africa +, introduced also in South America +, c Asia +, s Africa +  and Australia. +
0-1500 (-2500) m +
Grasslands, pastures, gravelly or shaley slopes, railroads, roadsides, mortared crevices in stone walls, disturbed areas, ballast ground, agricultural fields, usually on basic soils +
Flowering (Apr-)May–Sep. +
harris1995a +
Weedy +  and Introduced +
Reseda lutea +
species +