Fumaria occidentalis
species of plant

Fumaria occidentalis, the western ramping-fumitory, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Fumaria that is endemic to Cornwall. It is the largest of the British fumitories, and was discovered in 1904.
Distribution
Fumaria occidentalis is restricted to "the warmest districts in Cornwall", comprising the westernmost parts of mainland Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, from near Padstow around Land's End towards The Lizard. Within the Isles of Scilly, it only occurs on St. Mary's, although there are historical records of its occurrence on St. Martin's.
Description and ecology
Fumaria occidentalis is the largest fumitory to grow in the United Kingdom, with flowers 12–14 millimetres (0.47–0.55 in) long. Their petals are initially whitish (except the dark pink tips), becoming pink later; the sepals are 4–5.5 mm (0.16–0.22 in) by 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 in), and toothed towards the base. Its fruit are also larger than those of the other British species of Fumaria, at up to 3 mm × 3 mm (0.12 in × 0.12 in).
Fumaria occidentalis is an annual plant, flowering from March on the Isles of Scilly, but in May or June on the Cornish mainland.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Fumaria occidentalis” as species of plant. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of plant. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q15337955. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1904.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Fumaria occidentalis”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Fumaria occidentalis primary sources, Fumaria occidentalis archive and Fumaria research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Fumaria occidentalis”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Fumaria occidentalis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.