Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Berula erecta

Family

Apiaceae

Flowering season

July to September

English distribution

It is found throughout the country.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

Lesser Water-parsnip

Habitat

It grows both as a submerged aquatic in rivers and

streams, and as an emergent at the muddly edges of

slow moving water of lakes, ponds, rivers, rhynes and

canals. It also grows in ditches and marshes and

seasonally flooded ground..

It may be on the decline due to drainage and

disappearance of habitats.

Description

Lesser Water-parsnip is a native, stoloniferous, sprawling,

perennial herb growing up to 1m.

Flowerheads are in compound umbels up to 6cm across.

Flowers are on 10 to 15 unequal (stalks) rays up to 15mm

long.

They have 5 white slightly cleft petals and are up to

4mm across.

There are 5 stamens with spreading white filaments

and anthers.

There are 2 ovaries with the 2 styles above a conical

stylopodium.

Styles are up to 1mm and have small stigmas.

Sepals are very small and don't persist.

The compound umbels have several leaf-like bracts

and the umbels have similar but smaller bracteoles.

Fruits are oval, slightly compressed and ridged, and

up to 2mm.

They are slightly wider than long.

The lower leaves are up to 30cm and pinnate with up

to 9 pairs of of ovate serrate leaflets.

Stem leaves are smaller, less regularly serrate 

The stems are hairless, hollow and spreading.

The roots readily produce adventious rootlets from the

nodes.