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Wild chervil

Also known as: spreading chervil

Chaerophyllum procumbens (L.) Crantz

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Wild chervil leaf
Wild chervil
Wild chervil flowers
Wild chervil fruits
Wild chervil habit
Wild chervil
Wild chervil leaf
Wild chervil flowers

Morphology

Stem
Slender, spreading, weak, often branched from base, glabrous or slightly hairy at base.
Leaves
Alternate, stalked, pinnately divided more than once, fern-like, glabrous; leaflet lobes oblong, blunt; upper leaves smaller, nearly sessile.
Inflorescence
Umbel, compound, simple or with 2-3 rays; rays 1 to 2 inches long in fruit; flowers 3-10 per umbellet.
Flower
Tiny, white; petals 5, tips bent inward; stamens 5.
Fruit
Narrowly oblong, 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, wider at or near middle, glabrous or rarely hairy, ridged; ribs on fruit narrower than the spaces between the ribs; stalks thread-like, of uniformly thick.

Ecology

Habitat
Open woods, thickets, stream banks, and roadsides; moist, alluvial soils.
Distribution
East 1/2 of Kansas.

Additional Notes

Comments

The name chervil is said to be derived from ancient Greek chairein "to rejoice" and phyllon "leaf".

Quick Facts
Plant Type
Wildflower
Family
Apiaceae - Parsley Family
Life Span
Annual
Height
4-24 inches
Last Updated
2007-11-07
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Blooms: April, May, June