Apiaceae . . . . Carrot family (Umbellifers)

Tend to have compound umbels, with or without bracts, 2 stigmas and alternate or rosette lvs (often pinnate)

Some special examples - based on specific characters

- by Flower colour:

Blue flowers

Yellow flowers

White flowers - spotted stems

Other white flowers

- by Fruits or by Leaf shape:

By fruits

By leaf shape

Perfoliate lvs

Yellow flowered umbellifers

Bupleurum

Crithmum

Foeniculum

Anethum

Smyrnium

Petroselinum

Pastinaca

Levisticum

Peucedanum

Smyrnium

See also various other plants with near-umbels of yellowish flowers, including:

Hedera

Tanacetum

White flowers - separated based on leaf characters

Tiny plant of boggy areas with white flowers

Other possible similar plants:

Umbellifers with fine leaves

Umbellifers with (nearly) linear leaves or leaflets

White umbellifers with spotted stems

Conium maculatum

Chaerophyllum temulum

Hemlock

Rough Chervil

Enormous plant: Heracleum mantegazzanium

Conium maculatum

Chaerophyllum temulum

Umbellifers with Palmate (or Ternate) or shortly pinnate and apparently palmate leaves

Simply palmate/ternate

Multi-palmate/ternate

Umbellifers with pinnate leaves

Simply pinnate

Multipinnate

Simply pinnate leaves (1-pinnate)

Similar plants include: Watercress

Apiaceae- umbellifers with 2- or more pinnate leaves

Tiny plants (<10 cm)

Fine/Narrow lf-lets

Small leaflets (parsley-like)

Large leaflets

Apiaceae - tiny (<10cm) Umbellifers with pinnate leaves

Apiaceae - Umbellifers with Multi-pinnate leaves (fine/linear leaflets)

Apiaceae - Umbellifers with Multi-pinnate leaves with small leaflets

Apiaceae- umbellifers with multi-fold pinnate leaves (large leaflets)

Select by fruit shape:

Aegopodium . . . . . Ground-elder or Bishop's-weed or Goutweed

Aegopodium podagraria . . . . . Ground-elder or Bishop's-weed or Goutweed

A persistent garden weed on account of the deep and easily broken rhizomes

Aethusa . . . . . Fool's Parsley

Aethusa cynapium . . . . Fool's Parsley

Note especially the bracteoles hanging from the edges of the flower heads; waste ground

Ammi . . . . . Bullwort

Ammi majus . . . . . . Bullwort

Casual on tips etc.

Anethum . . . . . Dill

Anethum graveolens . . . . . Dill

Similar to Fennel, but with hollow stem and an easily uprooted annual; birdseed alien on waste ground

Angelica . . . . . Angelica

Angelica sylvestris . . . . . Angelica

Can be up to 200 cm tall; lvs triangular in outline

Angelica archangelica . . . . . Garden Angelica

Stems and flowers green not pink

Anthriscus . . . . Chervils

Anthriscus caucalis . . . . . Bur Chervil

Open sandy ground, esp. near the sea in CI, S and E

Anthriscus cerefolium . . . . . Garden Chervil

Grown as a herb in gardens, seeds freely

Anthriscus sylvestris . . . . . Cow Parsley

Abundant throughout BI, but more esp. in the S; stems hollow, early flowering (Apr-Jun); note bracteoles under 2nd umbels but no bracts under 1ary

Apium . . . . . Celery

Apium graveolens . . . . . Wild Celery

Lower leaves broad - upper narrower; smells of celery, solid, ridged stem; usually by the sea N to C Sc

See also Marshworts ( Helosciadium) were previously in this genus

Astrantia . . . . . Astrantia

Astrantia major . . . . . Astrantia

A garden escape mostly in N & W

Berula . . . . . Water Parsnip

Berula erecta . . . . . Lesser (narrow-leaved) Water-parsnip

Frequent in and by water; leaves with inflated bases

Bunium . . . . . Greater Pignut

Bunium bulbocastanum . . . . Greater Pignut

A rare plant of chalk grassland in the Chilterns some what similar to Conopodium; pics 1 & 2 Roger Horton

Bupleurum . . . . . Hare's-ear

Bupleurum baldense . . . . Small Hare's-ear

V local on fixed dunes in CI, Devon and Sussex

Bupleurum tenuissimum . . . . Slender Hare's-ear

Uncommon, coasts of S Br (photo C Hutchinson)

Other spp. of Bupleurum can occur rarely
N.B. Do not confuse with Euphorbias (e.g.):

Chaerophyllum . . . . . Rough Chervil

Chaerophyllum temulum . . . . . Rough Chervil

Common over much of Br but sparce in CI, Ire and N & W Sc; no bracts at base of umbels but broad 2ndry bracteoles

See also Conium maculatum with spotted stems:

Cicuta . . . . . Cowbane

Cicuta virosa . . . . . Cowbane

Very local in ditches and wet areas; highly poisonous

Conium . . . . . Hemlock

Conium maculatum . . . . . Hemlock

A very poisonous sp., can be >3m high; charcteristic straggly 'cone-shaped' plant; common exc. W & C Sc

Similar spotted stems in Chaerophyllum temulum:

Conopodium . . . . . Pignut

Conopodium majus . . . . . Pignut

Woodland and meadows throughout BI

Coriandrum . . . . Coriander

Coriandrum sativum . . . . . Coriander

Casual of tips and waste places

Crithmum . . . . Sea Samphire

Crithmum maritimum . . . . Sea Samphire

On rocks by the sea, mostly in the S; sometimes eaten as "rock samphire"

Daucus . . . . . Carrot

Daucus carota . . . . . Carrot

On chalky soils and by the sea; can be v. tiny

Compare Seseli libanotis (Moon-carrot)

Eryngium . . . . . Sea Holly

Eryngium campestre . . . . . Eryngium

Very local in S & W Br esp. near sea

Eryngium maritimum . . . . . Sea Holly

On beaches in CI and S

Eryngium planum . . . . . Blue Eryngo

Widely planted, occasionally naturalised

Falcaria . . . . . Longleaf

Falcaria vulgaris . . . . Longleaf

Local in CI and S

Foeniculum . . . . . Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare . . . . Fennel

Naturalised near the coast, esp. in the S; similar to Dill but a solid stemmed perennial

Helosciadium . . . . Marshworts

Plants of wet and marshy places; previously in Apium

Helosciadium nodiflorum . . . . . Fool's Water-cress

1-pinnate lvs; common by ditches and lakes, exc. C & N Sc

N.B. Berula erecta has toothed leaflets.

Helosciadium inundatum. . . . Lesser Marshwort

A tiny plant; 1- pinnate lvs (fine if under water); scattered in bare muddy patches/shallow water

Helosciadium repens. . . . Creeping Marshwort

A tiny plant; 1 pinnate lvs; v. rare in meadows in S En (e.g. Oxford)

Heracleum . . . . . Hogweed

Heracleum mantegazzanium . . . . . Giant Hogweed

Naturalised as a serious invasive by roads and rivers; NB sap POISONOUS causing blisters from sensitivity to sunlight

Heracleum sphondylium . . . . . Hogweed

Common

There is also a form with v. narrow lvs, while the two spp. can also hybridise:
H.sphondylium x mantegazzanium

Imperatoria . . . . . Masterwort

Imperatoria ostruthium . . . . Masterwort

Naturalised in a few places N Ire and N Br

Levisticum . . . . . Lovage

Levisticum officinale . . . . Lovage

Naturalised as a relic of cultivation

Ligusticum . . . . . Scot's lovage

Ligusticum scoticum . . . . Scot's Lovage

Coasts of Sc and N & W Ire

Meum . . . . . Spignel

Meum athamanticum . . . . . Spignel

Local in the N by wet places

Myrrhis . . . . . Sweet Cicely

Myrrhis odorata . . . . . Sweet Cicely

Has strong smell of aniseed; common in N Britain

Oenanthe . . . . . Water-dropworts

Generally poisonous plants

Oenanthe aquatica . . . . . Fine-leaved Water-dropwort

Scattered in ditches in ponds in S half of Br and Ire

Oenanthe crocata . . . . . Hemlock Water-dropwort

Locally common in wet places, petiole not furrowed on u. side

N.B. Leaves (on Left) very like those of Petroselinum (Parsley - on Right) - though the latter smell of parsley and have a petiole furrowed on u. side:

Oenanthe fistulosa . . . . . Tubular Water-dropwort

Marshes S from C Sc

Oenanthe lachenalii . . . . . Parsley Water-dropwort

Marshes esp. near the sea exc. N & E Sc

A number of other, mostly uncommon spp., including River Water-dropwort (O. fluviatilis), Corky-fruited Water-dropwort (O. piminelloides) and Narrow-leaved Water-dropwort (O. silaifolia).

Pastinaca . . . . . Wild Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa . . . . Wild Parsnip

Frequent in S & C En, occasional in Wales and rare in Sc; NB sap POISONOUS causing blisters from sensitivity to sunlight

Petroselinum . . . . . Garden Parsley

Petroselinum crispum . . . . Garden Parsley

Frequent garden escape; variable lf shape

N.B. Leaves (on Left) very like Oenanthe crocata (Hemlock Water-dropwort - on Right) - though the latter do not smell of parsley and do not have a furrowed petole:

(For Corn Parsley see Sison segetum )

Peucedanum . . . . . Hog's Fennel

Peucedanum officinale . . . . Hog's Fennel
V. local on marshes around Thames estuary; a robust plant >1 m tall with dense bush of lvs with linear branches dividing into 3s many times

P. palustre is now Thyselinium palustre and P. ostruthium is now Imperatoria ostruthium

Pimpinella . . . . . Burnet-saxifrage

Pimpinella major . . . . . Greater Burnet-saxifrage
Grassland and hedgerows concentrated in C En (also Kent, Devon and SW Ire); pic. 1 Colin Hutchinson

Pimpinella saxifraga . . . . . Burnet-saxifrage
Grassland and rocky places (esp. base-rich) exc. N & W Sc; basal lvs v different from stem lvs

Corn parsley (Sison segetum) has rather similar lower lvs

Sanicula . . . . . Sanicle

Sanicula europaea . . . . . Sanicle

Locally common in shady deciduous woods

Scandix . . . . . Shepherd's-needle

Scandix pecten-veneris . . . . . Shepherd's-needle

Rare weed of arble land

Selinum . . . . . Milk Parsley

Selinum wallichianum . . . . . Wallich Milk Parsley

Usually a garden plant

The related rare Cambridge Milk-parsley (Selinum carvifolia) does not have purple stems and occurs around Cambridge

Seseli . . . . . Moon Carrot

Seseli libanotis . . . . . Carrot

Very local on chalk in SC or SE En

Compare Daucus carota

Silaum . . . . . Pepper saxifrage

Silaum silaus . . . . . Pepper-saxifrage

Rather local in grassy places esp. E & C En

Sison . . . . . Stone parsley

Sison amomum . . . . . Stone Parsley

Rather local in Br S of Manchester, esp. in SE; tiny flowers

Sison segetum . . . . . Corn Parsley

Corn parsley (Sison segetum - was Petroselinum segetum) is similar to S. amomum though with 1-pinnate lower leaves; local in grassy places in S Br.

Sium . . . . . Water-Parsnip

There are two very similar spp. - the native Greater Water-Parsnip (Sium latifolium) and an introduced cultivated plant, Skirrets (Sium sisarum).

Sium latifolium . . . . . Greater Water-Parsnip

A water plant, rather local in Fens in E and C En and C Ire; assumed poisonous

Sium sisarum . . . . . Skirret

An introduced plant cultivated for its shaggy branch of edible thick, sweet, roots

Smyrnium . . . . . Alexanders

Smyrnium olusatrum . . . . . Alexanders

Early flowering (Mar), fully naturalised and taking over in some places, esp. by the sea in the CI and the S

Smyrnium perfoliatum . . . . . Perfoliate Alexanders

Yellowy upper perfoliate lvs, lower deeply cordate or trifoliate, early flowering (Mar); naturalised in a few places esp. in S Br

Thysselinium . . . . . Milk Parsley (was Peucedanum )

Thysselinium palustre (was Thyselium or Peucedanum) . . . . Milk Parsley

Local, almost entirely in E Anglian fens; hollow stem & the clear bracts below the umbel distinguishes from the rare Cambridge Milk-parsley (Selinum carvifolia) which occurs in Cambs. (photos Roger Horton)

Torilis . . . . . Hedge Parsley

Torilis nodosa . . . . . Knotted Hedge-parsley

Arable and bare ground esp. in S & E

Torilis japonica . . . . . Upright Hedge-parsley

Frequent exc. NW & N Sc

Torilis arvensis . . . . . Spreading Hedge-parsley

T. japonica and has curved, non-hooked spines and 4-6 bracts at base of umbel; T. arvensis has straight, hooked spines and 0-1 bracts, and tends to be <25 cm tall and <5 rays to the umbel; both flower Jul-Aug
Arable weed, casual in SE En

Compare also: Anthriscus

Trinia . . . . . Honewort

Trinia glauca . . . . . Honewort

Local on dry limestone turf in Devon & Somerset; a squat plant with male and female plants separate (fl photos from Richard Robinson)

Trocdaris (=Carum) . . . . . Whorled Caraway

Trocdaris verticillatum . . . . . Whorled Caraway

Damp meadows in W Br and Ire, Jersey, almost absent from E

Visnaga . . . . . Toothpick-plant

Visnaga daucoides . . . . . Toothpick-plant

Casual