Moluccella laevis, Molucca balm, Shell flower, Bells of Ireland, בר-גביע חלק
Scientific name:
Moluccella laevis L.
Common name:
Molucca balm, Shell flower, Bells of Ireland
Hebrew name:
בר-גביע חלק
Family:
Labiatae / Lamiaceae, שפתניים
Life form:
Therophyte, annual
Leaves:
Opposite, entire, dentate or serrate
Flowers:
White
Flowering Period:
April, May, June
Habitat:
Cultivated areas
Distribution:
Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands
Chorotype:
Mediterranean
Summer shedding:
Ephemeral
Derivation of the botanical name:
Moluccella, Shell-flower; derivation of the name is uncertain; some say: from the Indonesian Molucca Islands; Umberto Quattrocchi says: "Presumably from an Arabic word meaning "king" or a diminutive of Molucca."
laevis, smooth.
The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
Location: Maagan Kibbutz Holiday Village - Sea of Galilee; Date Picture Taken: May 16, 2011
