Scandix verna, Scandix iberica, Shepherd's needle, Venus Comb,
Hebrew: מסרק מזרחי,מסרק איברי, Arabic: مش الراعي

Scientific name:		Scandix verna O.Cohen
Synonym name:		Scandix iberica M. Bieb
Common name:		Shepherd's needle, Venus Comb
Hebrew name:		מסרק מזרחי,מסרק איברי
Arabic name:		مش الراعي
Family:		Umbelliferae / Apiaceae, סוככים

Life form:		Therophyte, annual
Stems:		15-30 cm; branching, erect, or spreading, hairy
Leaves:		Alternate, dissected, bipinnate or more
Inflorescence:		Terminal, compound umbel of 3-9 rays
Flowers:		White; style 5-7 times longer than widht of stylopodium; a few large outer petals
Fruits / pods:		Very elongated fruit, fruit tip (remnants of the flower's pistil) divided in two
Flowering Period:		March, April
Habitat:		Batha, Phrygana
Distribution:		Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands
Chorotype:		Med - Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:		Ephemeral

Derivation of the botanical name: Scandix, Greek skandix or skandikos which was used by Aristophanes (ca.456 – ca.386 BCE) and Theophrastus (370 — ca.285 BCE), to chervil, which later became the Latin scandix. verna, of or belonging to spring. iberica, of Spain. The Hebrew name: מסרק, masrek, New Hebrew, Venus’ comb, Scandix; from מסרק compare the English name ‘Venus’ comb’. The standard author abbreviation O.Cohen is used to indicate Ofer Cohen, a botanist, Plant Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem. The standard author abbreviation M.Bieb. is used to indicate Friedrich August Marschall von Bieberstein (1768 – 1826), a German naturalist, and explorer.