The common fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) grows on both cultivated and uncultivated land, including cornfields and roadsides, and is found throughout Great Britain, particularly towards the eastern side of the country. It is also found in other parts of the world including North America.
The plant consists of tangled stems bearing either long slender leaves that are deeply divided or flower spikes that can bear up to twenty flowers apiece. Although the plant does not produce tendrils it is often found climbing up other plants, reaching a maximum height of 20 inches (50 centimetres).
The flowers are pink and funnel-shaped, with the petals ending in dark tips. Although each flower produces nectar, this does not seem to be particularly attractive to insects. Instead, the plant is mainly self-pollinating. The flowers appear from May to September after which globular fruiting bodies appear that each contain only one seed.
The name “fumitory” derives from a mediaeval Latin word meaning “smoke of the earth”. This is because, when a root is pulled from the ground, it gives off an acrid smell similar to that of nitric acid fumes. The plant is known in North America as the “fume root” for this reason. Another connection with smoke is that the sap will make the eyes water just like smoke will, should anyone be foolish enough to let this happen.
© John Welford
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