Golden alexanders

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Golden alexanders

Golden alexanders

Golden alexanders habit

Golden alexanders leaf

Golden alexanders leaf

Golden alexanders

Golden alexanders

Golden alexanders inflorescence

Golden alexanders

Morphology

Stem

Erect, often several, branched above, glabrous.

Leaves

Alternate, long-stalked below to nearly sessile above, egg-shaped to circular in outline, 2.5 to 4 inches long, 2-3 times compound into 3s; leaflets ovate to lanceolate, 1 to 2 inches long, .5 to 1.25 inch wide, glabrous; margins sharply toothed; tips pointed or blunt.

Inflorescence

Umbels, compound, on stalks 2 to 6 inches long, terminal and in upper leaf axils, 9- to 25-rayed; rays stout, ascending, unequal, .5 to 1.5 inch long.

Flower

Tiny, 5-parted, yellow; calyx teeth prominent; stamens 5, extending beyond perianth edges; center flower of each secondary umbel sessile.

Fruit

Egg-shaped, about 1/6 inch long, glabrous, ribbed, brown, splitting into a pair of 1-seeded segments; seeds flat.

Ecology

Habitat

Moist prairies, wet thickets, open wooded hillsides, ditches, and along streams.

Distribution

East 1/3 of Kansas.

Practical Information

Toxicity

It will cause vomiting and should be considered toxic.

Uses

Native Americans used golden alexanders to alleviate fevers and headaches, and early pioneers believed it would cure syphilis.

Additional Notes