Datisca cannabina

Datisca cannabina, called false hemp, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Datisca, family Datiscaceae, native to the Aegean Islands, Crete, Cyprus, Anatolia, the Levant, the Transcaucasus, Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the western Himalayas and Nepal.^[2] It is one of the very few species known to have true androdioecy, meaning it has a mix of male and hermaphroditic individuals.^[3]

Datisca cannabina
Male flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Cucurbitales
Family:	Datiscaceae
Genus:	Datisca
Species:	D. cannabina
Binomial name
Datisca cannabina L.[1]
Synonyms[2]
List Cannabina laevis Moench Datisca glabra Stokes Datisca nepalensis D.Don

This tall herbaceous perennial grows to a maximum height and spread of 2.5 m (8.2 ft), with ash-like clusters of bright green leaves, and arching shoots covered in tassels of small green and white flowers during summer. It is hardy but prefers a sheltered position in full sun or partial shade.^[4]

Local artisans use its roots to produce a fast yellow dye.^[5]

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  Growth form
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  Top
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  In fruit
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  Seeds

References

1. Sp. Pl.: 1037 (1753)
2. "Datisca cannabina L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
3. Wolf, Diana E.; Rieseberg, Loren H.; Spencer, Stanley C. (1997). "The genetic mechanism of sex determination in the androdioecious flowering plant, Datisca glomerata (Datiscaceae)". Heredity. 78 (2): 190–204. doi:10.1038/hdy.1997.27. S2CID 27605267.
4. "Datisca cannabina". RHS. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
5. Liotard, L. (1881). Memorandum on Dyes of Indian Growth and Production. Calcutta: Home Revenue and Agricultural Department Press. pp. 89–96. …roots of alkabir (Datisca cannabina)…