Sison is a small genus of flowering plants in the carrot family Apiaceae, placed within the order Apiales. The genus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in his landmark work Species Plantarum. Native to western and southern Europe and north Africa, Sison belongs to the diverse and largely aromatic umbellifers — a family characterised by compound umbel inflorescences, hollow stems, and often finely divided leaves. The genus is modest in size, with a small number of accepted species; notable members include Sison amomum (stone parsley), a biennial or perennial herb found in hedgerows and roadsides across western Europe, and Sison segetum (corn caraway, now also treated as Petroselinum segetum), a slender annual of disturbed ground. The taxonomy of Sison has been subject to revision, with some species transferred to related genera such as Petroselinum and Ridolfia.
Distribution
Sison is native to western and southern Europe and north Africa, occurring in habitats such as hedgerows, roadsides, and disturbed agricultural ground.
Taxonomy Notes
Sison was established by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum. The genus belongs to the family Apiaceae (order Apiales) and has undergone taxonomic revision, with former members such as Sison segetum now sometimes placed in Petroselinum. GBIF recognises the genus as accepted within Magnoliopsida.
