Wild ParsnipPastinaca sativa
From Nearctica
Alien: Introduced from Europe.
Identification: Flowers yellow, arranged in an umbel. Stems flattened, ridged. Seeds with a distinctive pattern of ridges (see figures) Leaves divided into 5 to 15 sessile leaflets. Leaflets with irregular margins and coarsely toothed. Plant 2 to 5 feet in height.
Distribution:North America except for the southeastern United States.
Habitat: Wild Parsnip is an introduced, weedy species found in fields and along roadsides.
Flowering period: May to October.
Notes: Wild Parsnip is the wild variety of the familiar garden vegetable parsnips. The foliage contains a chemical increasing the photo-sensitivity of the skin in some individuals. Those unlucky enough to have this sensitivity may develop water-filled blisters on their skin after handling either the wild or domestic varieties of this species.
