Common name: Wild Parsnip
Trachymene glaucifolia (F.Muell.) Benth. APNI* 
Description: Erect annual herb to 60 cm high, sometimes with a perennial rootstock; stems sparingly branched, glabrous.
Leaves mostly towards the base of the plant, 3–5-lobed to dissected, lamina ovate in outline, 2–5 cm long, 3–5 cm wide; segments linear to elliptic, 1–7 mm wide; glabrous to sparsely hairy; petiole 3.5–10.5 c, long.
Umbels 10–25 mm diam. in flower, 20–30 mm diam. in fruit, 80–120 flowered; peduncle 2–12 cm long with glandular hairs at the base, subtended by leaf-like bracts becoming sessile and tri-fid. Bracts 15–18, 4–9 mm long. Flowers bisexual or male. Petals 1.6–1.9 mm long, blue turning white. Ovary unilocular, glabrous or glandular hairy.
Fruit semicircular, 4.5–5.5 mm long, brown; consisting of only one mericarp. Mericarps 3.9–5.5 mm wide, weakly to strongly papillate; the papillae terminated by glandular trichomes, often breaking off. Carpophores entire, 2.5–3 mm long.
Flowering: Flowers August–October
Distribution and occurrence: Found in shrubland or with spinifex on sandhills and sandplains. Widespread particularly in the northwest part of the State.
NSW subdivisions: NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld W.A. S.A. N.T.
Reported to be poisonous to sheep, especially when in flower or fruit. Formerly in Apiaceae.
Text by J.M. Hart
Taxon concept: J.M. Hart, 2002
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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