Ethnobotany
Guides
Bellardia
trixago bartsia, Mediterranean lineseed
Bellardia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae, containing only Bellardia trixago. This facultative hemiparasitic herb is native to the Mediterranean Basin but has been introduced to California and Chile, where it is considered a noxious weed. The species has been reclassified from Scrophulariaceae to Orobanchaceae based on phylogenetic studies. Its flowers are ethnobotanically consumed as food, and the plant has been investigated for pharmacological properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities.