Pastinaca sativa L.
common parsnip (wild parsnip)
Apiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
common parsnip (wild parsnip)
Apiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Stout, aromatic biennial herb from a stout taproot; stems erect, .3-1.8 m tall.
Leaves:
Pinnately compound, stem leaves progressively reduced, basal leaves up to 50 cm long and nearly half as wide; leaflets pinnately cleft.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of compound umbels on terminal and lateral stalks; flowers yellow; spokes 15-25, unequal.
Fruits:
Broadly elliptic, 5-6 mm long, strongly flattened crosswise, glabrous.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Fields, roadsides and waste places in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Pastinaca sativa var. pratensis Pers.