This plant was growing at the side of a road amongst grass and weeds in a drainage canal. The photographs were taken during the month of October of 2010. The stem was hollow and the plant gave off a strong smell of celery, parnips or parsely. I am not very good at smells as I am not too good at identify plants, especially those belonging to the Apiaceae family. Since the leaves of Alexanders are shiny and the stem ridged, I am sure that this plant is not Smyrnium olusatrum (Alexanders)! Any ideas?
Hm, yes, it is surely not a Smyrnium... (Smyrnium fruits are different: http://www.actaplantarum.org/floraitaliae/download/file.php?id=44243) Looks like an Angelica sp. (fruits are similar to this one: http://www.botanikaiforum.com/g2339p14833-Angelica-sylvestris.html#viewport)
Hello Lila, Thank you for replying to my Thread. Yes! You are absolutely right about the similarity of the fruits in my photographs with that of Angelica sylvestris. The leaves are not the same and the stem is deeply ridged on the Angelica sp. I will have to take a look at the other Angelica species. I use the Acta Plantarum site as well as the Flora Italiana. The other link you gave me was very interesting and I tried to sign in without any luck. I assume the language to be Hungarian? Many thanks for your help and as soon as I manage to identify the plant, I will let you know.
Could this not be aegopodium podogaria of Peucedanum verticillare? I know that most of the photographs I have seen of the latter, the plant has a redish/blue stem. I have seen few photographs in which the stem was almost pale green. looking forward to your opinion and that of other members.
Check the fruits! :) Aegopodium podagraria:http://www.botanikaiforum.com/g2297p25336-Aegopodium-podagraria.html Pecucedanum verticillare: http://files.homepagemodules.de/b533662/f58t1963p6463n2.jpg So I still think so, that your plant is an Angelica, because of it's fruits! :)
Hello Lila, My internet time for the month of November expired some 12 days ago due to my downloading a 1,5 gb video. I use a mobile key. I know exactly what you mean about about the seeds seeming to belong to an Angelica sp. The problem is there are only 2 Angelica sp. in Italy. The species that grows in Southern and Central Italy is silvestris! This species has a pinkish to red stem. Then guaine is much more pronounced then the plant on my photographs. The Apiaceae family can be devilishly difficult to identify! I visited the Hungarian site you gave me and the Angelica seeds do look the same. What a problem. I have sent the photographs to a botanist friend who works in the Botanical Gardens at the University of Naples, but owing to shortage of staff due to drastic cut backs, she may have little time to spend on identifying this plant. Thanks again.
Lila, I forgot to mention that each ray has bracteoles and the leaves are completely different! What a problem!
As far as I can see (3rd picture) your plant has no involucres, but it has involucels (=secondary involucre), that is OK for Angelica sylvestris! ;) (Hm, I'm not 100% sure, that those leaves belongs to this plant, because in the 1st picture they are behind - not around - the stem!) But unfortunately I don't know well the flora of Italy, so I hope your friend can give you a 100% sure ID for this plant! :)
