Apiaceae
Parsley Family
Zizia aurea (L.) W. Koch.
- Stem: perennial; 1 1/2’ to 3’ tall; branched above; often several stems from the same root crown; smooth.
- Leaves: basal and alternate; twice divided into threes; blade 3” to 5” long, end leaflet 1” by 1/2”; basal leaves with long (8”) leaf stalks, stem leaves sessile; margins fine-toothed; smooth above and below.
- Inflorescence: compound umbels on flower stalks from the stem tip and upper leaf axils; center flower in each secondary umbel sessile; flowers clustered but becoming more separated in fruit.
- Flowers: petals yellow, 1/32” long, set on a tiny ovary; sepals tiny; flowering from mid-May to mid-June.
- Fruits: pairs of one-seeded fruits, 5/32” long, flattened on one side, light brown, prominent oil tubes in the fruit wall; fruiting begins in early June; fruits mature and begin to drop in mid-August.
- Habitat: common on moist to mesic prairies, in open woods and woodland openings; also on roadsides and in other open places.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
