Common name: Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa subsp. sativa L. APNI*
Description: Erect, stout biennial herb to 1.8 m high, ± pubescent, with swollen taproot; stem striate, strongly angled.
Leaves pinnate; leaflets 9–23, oblong or ovate, 5–10 cm long, 2.5–8 cm wide, often deeply lobed segments with coarsely toothed margins; petiole 5–12 cm long, shorter than lamina.
Umbel 3–20 cm diam.; peduncle stout with clasping base, 7–15 cm long; rays of terminal umbel 9–20, very unequal, to 20 mm long; bracts if present pinnately lobed; pedicels 5–10 mm long. Petals c. 1 mm long, yellow.
Fruit broad-elliptic, 5–7 mm long; wing to 0.5 mm broad.
Flowering: November–April
Distribution and occurrence: Widely grown as a vegetable, naturalized in cooler districts, south from Glen Innes.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *NT, *CT, *ST
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas. *S.A.
The single subspecies in NSW. Characters and distribution as for the species in NSW. |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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