Osmorhiza
Encyclopedia
Osmorhiza is a genus of perennial
herb
s, known generally as Sweet Cicely or Sweetroot. Most species are native to North America
, but some grow in South America
and Asia
. Some species are used for medicinal purposes, but have dangerous lookalikes. The seeds
of this plant have barbs on the end allowing them to stick to clothing, fur, or feathers.
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s, known generally as Sweet Cicely or Sweetroot. Most species are native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, but some grow in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Some species are used for medicinal purposes, but have dangerous lookalikes. The seeds
SEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
of this plant have barbs on the end allowing them to stick to clothing, fur, or feathers.
Species
- O. aristata
- O. berteroiOsmorhiza berteroiOsmorhiza berteroi is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name mountain sweet cicely. It is native to much of western and northern North America, as well as Argentina and Chile, where it grows in wooded and forested areas. It is an aromatic perennial herb producing...
(Tapering Sweetroot, Mountain Sweet Cicely, Mountain Sweetroot) - O. brachypodaOsmorhiza brachypodaOsmorhiza brachypoda is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name California sweet cicely. It is native to mountainous and wooded areas of California and Arizona. It is a hairy, aromatic perennial herb growing 30 to 80 centimeters tall. The green leaves have blades...
(California Sweet Cicely) - O. claytoniiOsmorhiza claytoniiOsmorhiza claytonii is a North American perennial herb. It is also known as Sweet Cicely, a name it shares with other members of its genus Osmorhiza....
(Clayton's Sweetroot, Sweet Cicely) - O. depauperataOsmorhiza depauperataOsmorhiza depauperata is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name bluntseed sweetroot. It is native to much of western and northern North America, as well as parts of South America, where it grows in wooded areas. It is an erect perennial herb up to 80 centimeters...
(Bluntseed Sweetroot) - O. glabrata
- O. longistylisOsmorhiza longistylisOsmorhiza longistylis is a perennial herb of North America. It is known as aniseroot, longstyle sweetroot, American sweet cicely, licorice root, wild anise, or simply sweet cicely, a name that applies to other members of its genus Osmorhiza generally. It is a medicinal herb that was used by...
(American Sweet Cicely, Sweet Cicely, White Cicely, Longstyle Sweetroot, Aniseroot, Licorice Root, or Wild Anise) - O. mexicana (Mexican Sweet Cicely)
- O. occidentalisOsmorhiza occidentalisOsmorhiza occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name western sweetroot. It is native to much of western North America, where it grows in wooded and forested areas. It is an erect perennial herb up sometimes exceeding one meter tall...
(Western Sweetroot) - O. purpurea (Purple Sweetroot)
External links
- Osmorhiza USDA Plants Database