Oenanthe sarmentosa
Encyclopedia
Oenanthe sarmentosa is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family
known by the common name water parsley. It is native to western North America from Alaska
to California
, where it grows in wet areas, such as streambanks. It is sometimes aquatic
, growing in the water. The plant has been used in cultivation in wetland
s, and the recent discovery of several colonies growing by a stream in Illinois
demonstrates its capacity to become a noxious weed if it is introduced
elsewhere. This is a perennial herb growing to a maximum height near 1.5 meters. The leaves have blades up to 30 centimeters long borne on petioles
up to 35 centimeters in length. The parsley-like
leaf blade is divided into serrated, lobed leaflets. The inflorescence
is a compound umbel
of many flowers with bright white to red-tinged petals.
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
known by the common name water parsley. It is native to western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in wet areas, such as streambanks. It is sometimes aquatic
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
, growing in the water. The plant has been used in cultivation in wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, and the recent discovery of several colonies growing by a stream in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
demonstrates its capacity to become a noxious weed if it is introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
elsewhere. This is a perennial herb growing to a maximum height near 1.5 meters. The leaves have blades up to 30 centimeters long borne on petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
up to 35 centimeters in length. The parsley-like
Parsley
Parsley is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region , naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.- Description :Garden parsley is a bright green hairless biennial herbaceous plant in temperate...
leaf blade is divided into serrated, lobed leaflets. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a compound umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
of many flowers with bright white to red-tinged petals.