Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


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Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

34. Apiaceae, the Parsley Family

1. Berula Hoffm. -- Water parsnip

1. Berula erecta (Huds.) Cov.

Fibrous-rooted perennial; stems erect to decumbent, 3-8 dm long, often rooting along the prostrate portion, sparsely branched. Leaves once-pinnate, basal leaves often present, larger than the cauline leaves, with the leaflets broader and less dissected than those of the cauline leaves; blades oblong, 3-20(30) cm long, 2-10 cm wide; leaflets lanceolate to ovate or oblong, subentire to toothed or incised. Umbels few to many, terminal and lateral, the lateral ones often overtopping the terminal one, 2.5-6 cm across in fruit; rays 5-15, 1-3 cm long; bracts narrow, entire or toothed; umbellets 1-2 cm wide; pedicels 2-5 mm long; bractlets several, narrow. Flowers white, 1-2 mm across; sepals minute or obsolete. Fruit elliptic or orbicular, somewhat flattened laterally, obscurely ribbed, 1.5-2 mm long, seldom maturing. Jul--Sep. Springs and spring-fed streams; locally common at scattered locations; (NY and Ont. to B.C., s to FL, Mex., C.Amer. and Baja CA; also Europe and the Mediterranean region).

North American plants belong to var. incisum (Torr.) Cronq.

Map key

Return to Family -- Apiaceae - The Parsley Family
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