Description: Annual herbs, delicate, glabrous, often glaucous, stems weak, angular and often trailing or climbing.
Leaves deeply divided 2 or 3 times, ultimate segments variously pinnatisect, leaves on young plants often forming rosettes, stem leaves alternate, some species ± climbing by sensitive petiolules.
Inflorescence a raceme, 10–40-flowered, usually dense during flowering and elongating during fruiting stage.
Fruit nut-like, ± globose, 2–3 mm diam.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 50 species, Europe, Mediterranean, Asia & 1 species East Africa. Australia: c. 7 species (naturalised), all States.
All species in New South Wales are weeds, often growing in cultivation, near habitations or along creeks. Fumaria formerly placed in family Fumariaceae. Note: the measurement of the corolla is that of the larger flowers; some species also produce cleistogamous flowers with a small corolla, especially towards the end of flowering season. A number of species are cultivated as ornamentals, especially in cooler districts.
Text by G.J. Harden
Taxon concept: Australian Plant Census (accessed April 2017)
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaf segments flat, more or less lanceolate to ovate, more than 2 mm wide; peduncle in fruiting stage at least 10 mm long; dried fruit smooth or wrinkled | 2 |
| Leaf segments channelled, more or less linear, usually less than 1 mm wide; peduncle in fruiting stage more or less absent or less than 10 mm long; dried fruit wrinkled | 8 |
| 2 | Pedicels recurved in fruit; inflorescence much shorter than the relatively long peduncle; fruit smooth when dry | Fumaria capreolata |
| Fruiting pedicels erect or spreading; inflorescence at least as long as the peduncle; fruit usually wrinkled, seldom smooth
Back to 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Corolla more than 9 mm long; lower petal not spathulate | 4 |
| Corolla less than 9 mm long; lower petal spathulate or not spathulate
Back to 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Inflorescences usually less than 15-flowered; fruit mostly smooth, sometimes finely wrinkled, when dry; lower petal with erect margins; upper petal dorsally compressed | Fumaria muralis |
| Inflorescences 15–25-flowered; fruit distinctly wrinkled when dry; lower petal with spreading margins; upper petal laterally compressed
Back to 3 | Fumaria bastardii |
| 5 | Sepals less than 1 mm long; bracts at least as long as the pedicels | Fumaria indica |
| Sepals ± 1.5 mm long; bracts shorter than the pedicels
Back to 3 | 6 |
| 6 | Lower petal not spathulate | 7 |
| Lower petal spathulate
Back to 5 | Fumaria officinalis |
| 7 | Inflorescences mostly 12–15-flowered; fruit smooth or finely wrinkled when dry; lower petal with erect margins; upper petal dorsally compressed. Smaller cleistogamous flowers | Fumaria muralis |
| Inflorescences 15–25-flowered; fruit distinctly wrinkled when dry; lower petal with spreading margins; upper petal laterally compressed. Smaller cleistogamous flowers
Back to 6 | Fumaria bastardii |
| 8 | Inflorescences sessile; sepals less than 1.5 mm long; corolla mostly white, usually 4–6 mm long | Fumaria parviflora |
| Inflorescences usually shortly pedunculate; sepals 2.5–3.5 mm long; corolla pink, mostly 6–7 mm long
Back to 1 | Fumaria densiflora |
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