Seasonal Wild Flowers

Wild Parsnip

Latin name

Pastinaca sativa

Family

Apiaceae

Flowering season

June to September

English distribution

It is found throughout the country except for parts of the

North and the far Southwest..

See the BSBI distribution map for Wild Parsnip

Habitat

It grows on chalk and limestone grassland, by roads and

railways, on waste ground and on shingle beaches.

Description

Wild Parsnip is a striking, yellow, tall, native, biennial herb,

growing up to 2m.

The umbels are up to 10cm and the compound umbel can

be up to 1m.

The flowers are small (5-8mm) with 5 recurved sepals

and no petals.

Stamens alternate with the sepals.

There is a central stigma (sometimes 2) and the fruit is

broadly oval and flat.

Leaves are pinnate and toothed.

Stems are furrowed and angled.

The plant is pungent and in some places there are signs

warning people not to touch it.

It can cause phyto-photo-dermatitis, when sap on the

skin reacts with UV light .

It is attractive to insects and the flowers often have

multiple Pyrochroa feeding on them.

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Wild Parsnip, Ham Hill, Somerset

Newly-opened compound umbel

Umbel, curved sepals, young stamens

Stamens alternate with sepals

Fruits

Toothed lower leaves

Stem

Pyrochroa on Wild Parsnip

On shingle, West Bexington, Dorset

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