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White Angelica
Angelica arguta Nutt.
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Family: Apiaceae,
Parsley
Genus: Angelica
Description
Plant height: 50-200 cm.
Growth habit:
Robust, erect perennial, from taproot, often
ill-smelling.
 Leaves: alternate, twice pinnately compound with
broadly lance-shaped, sharp-toothed leaflets, 4-14 cm long,
often hairy along the veins beneath, with stalks inflated at
base and clasping stem. The primary lateral veins tending
to be directed to some of the teeth, or sometimes scarcely
reaching the margin.
 Flowers: white, about 4 mm wide, in large, flat-topped
compound clusters with 18-45 unequal rays, up to 8 cm
long, without primary or secondary bracts. Petals and
ovaries are hairless.
Flowering time: June-Aug.
 Fruits: flattened, broadly elliptic with 2 broad wings, 4-7
mm long and 4-5 mm wide, often reddish.
Distribution
Stream banks, wet meadows, marshes, and bottomlands,
from the foothills and valleys to moderate elevations in the
mountains in w. and c. parts of MT, also in B.C. and
Alberta to UT and WY.
  Edible and medicinal plant: see below.
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(click on image for full size)
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(click on images for full size)
Teas and extracts from the roots and seeds of angelica have been used to aid digestion and relieve nausea and cramps. The leaves smell rather like parsley, and they have been used as a spice, garnish or vegetable. Stems of North American angelicas can be candied like those of European species. However, care must be taken not to confuse these plants with the poisonous water-hemlocks. |
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