a genus of perennial, biennial, and annual herbs of the family Umbelliferae. The ternate, biternate, or entire leaves are leathery, with stiff, finely serrate margins. Calyx teeth are present, and the petals are white. The fruit is elongated and laterally compressed.
There are four or five species of Falcaria, which are distributed in the temperate zone of Eurasia and in North Africa. Two or three species are encountered in the USSR. The longleaf (F. vulgaris, formerly F. sioides) is found in dry meadows, along the edges of forests, on slopes and steppes, along roads, and on fallow lands. It also grows as a weed among crops, primarily spring crops. The longleaf is found throughout the European USSR, the Caucasus, Western Siberia, and Middle Asia. In southern regions it is used as a pasturage primarily for sheep and camels. The young leaves may be boiled and used as a condiment or a vegetable; the seeds are used in the same manner as caraway seeds.