PlantaeDB Logo
Login Sign-up

Genus Berula in Family Apiaceae

In botanical taxonomy, a genus (plural genera) is a rank used to group closely related species within a family. In the hierarchy, genus sits below family and above species.

Genera are defined by shared morphological, anatomical, and genetic characteristics (for example, features of flowers, fruits, seeds, or leaves) that indicate a close evolutionary relationship among the species they contain.

Each genus can include one or more species. Examples include Rosa (roses) and Solanum (nightshades, including tomato and eggplant).

Do you wish to read more about plant taxonomy? Click here!

Genus Description

Suggest a correction!

Berula Hoffm. ex Besser, in the family Apiaceae (carrot family), comprises about two species of herbaceous, semi‑aquatic plants that occur throughout temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe and western Asia to North America (POWO, 2024; WFO, 2024). The type species is Berula erecta (Huds.) (Plunkett & Nicolas, 2021). Plants are erect, rhizomatous perennials with jointed stems that root at the nodes; leaves are pinnately compound, the leaflets are lanceolate, often glabrous, and lack conspicuous stipules; inflorescences are compound umbels with an involucre of small bracts; flowers have five white, emarginate petals, an inferior ovary with two carpels each bearing a single ovule, and a style that persists on the fruit; fruits are schizocarps that split into two ribbed mericarps. The centre of species diversity lies in Eurasian wetlands; B. erecta is widespread in lowland marshes, riverbanks and ditches, while a second, less common taxon, B. humilis, is confined to high‑altitude alpine marshes of the Himalayas (Sheh et al., 2022). Most populations occur between sea level and about 2,000 m. Flowers are visited by a broad suite of insects, including syrphid flies and small bees, indicating generalist entomophily (Downie & Jansen, 2020). The ribbed mericarps are buoyant and often dispersed by water (Downie & Jansen, 2020). Chromosome counts are consistent with a base number x = 11; B. erecta has been reported at 2n = 22 (Plunkett & Nicolas, 2021). Seeds are dormant and typically require a period of cold stratification before they will germinate, a pattern observed in many temperate aquatic umbels (Plunkett & Nicolas, 2021). The genus therefore contributes to bank stabilization and provides habitat for aquatic insects and small fish. Recent molecular work places Berula within the tribe Oenantheae, closely allied to the genus Sium; some authors have therefore proposed treating Berula as a synonym of Sium (WFO, 2024). However, morphological and geographical evidence continues to support its generic rank in many regional floras (Plunkett & Nicolas, 2021). The plants are occasionally cultivated for water‑garden displays and are employed in restoration of riparian habitats, but they are not major timber or food crops. Although locally common, loss of wetland habitat and increased eutrophication pose ongoing threats, highlighting the need for targeted monitoring of its alpine and lowland populations (POWO, 2024).

Pick a Species to see its components: