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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect or ascending, branched, sparsely to densely villous, sometimes glabrous.
- Leaves
- Basal and cauline. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole 2 to 6.4 inches, glabrate to densely pubescent; blade 2-3-ternately compound, triangular or ovate in outline, 1.6 to 10 inches; leaflets ovate to oblong-ovate, 1.2 to 4 inches long, .4 to 2 inches wide; margins serrate or doubly serrate, often pinnately lobed or incised toward base. Cauline leaves gradually reduced above; petiole present or absent; blade mostly ternate.
- Inflorescence
- Compound umbels, terminal and axillary; peduncles 2 to 6 inches; involucral bracts .2 to .6 inch; rays 3-6(-8), unequal, .6 to 2 inches; involucel bractlets 4-7, lanceolate to linear, .2 to .4 inch.
- Flower
- Pedicels 1/12 to 1/5 inch; calyx lobes absent; petals 5, white or greenish white, broadly elliptic to obovate; stamens 5; styles 2, longer than petals.
- Fruit
- Schizocarps splitting, elongate-ellipsoid or clavate, .4 to .8 inch, flattened at right angle to commissure, antrorsely hispid, persistent styles 1/12 to 1/6 inch; mericarps dark brown or black, ribs not corky, not winged, oil tubes obscure.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Mesic to dry oak-hickory forests, wooded stream banks
- Distribution
- East 1/3 of Kansas
Practical Information
- Uses
- The roots have been used as the source of an aromatic oil similar to that of anise (Pimpinella anisum).
Additional Notes
Comments
Plants usually strongly anise-scented. Osmorhiza, scent and root, and longistylis, long and column, alluding to the styles.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Apiaceae - Parsley Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 12-40 inches
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2021-05-23
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, July