A N F Keys
1 Trailing, weak-stemmed annual with mostly opposite, kidney-shaped, palmately lobed leaves; scattered stellate hairs present on shoots, flowers, and fruits; cymes axillary, having 1−3 minute flowers with white petals .. Bowlesia incana [pics]
1' Herbs with helically alternate leaves (if cauline leaves opposite then highly dissected); stellate hairs absent; flowers in umbels or compound umbels
2 Petals and filaments yellow to yellowish green
3 Plants in flower mostly 100+ cm tall with several−many thick stems at base; petioles 70−140 mm long with large, feathery blades having the odor of licorice (anise); canopy with axes repeatedly forked bearing flat-topped compound umbels 50−120 mm across; involucel absent; schizocarps when immature blue-green and glaucous with tan ribs .. Foeniculum vulgare [pics]
3' Plants in flowers mostly < 100 cm tall but if tall typically 1-stemmed at base; blades strongly odorous when crushed but not odorous like licorice; involucel present
4 Inflorescence of headlike umbels produced in cymelike arrays; schizocarps densely covered with hooked bristles .. Sanicula
4' Inflorescence an obvious compound umbel; schizocarps lacking hooked bristles
5 Plants aromatic like celery (Apium); flowers ca. 2 mm across; schizocarps broadly winged, 8+ mm long .. Lomatium
5' Plants aromatic like carrot (Daucus); flowers 4−5 mm across; schizocarps not broadly winged but having ribs, 4−6.5 mm long .. Tauschia
2' Petals and filaments white (tinged pinkish or purplish red) or pale green (pale yellow)
6 Plants glabrous
7 Annuals having short leaves with slender, linear to oblong ultimate segments
8 Upper cauline leaves opposite, aromatic like celery (Apium); stems often having ridges with minute teeth; flowers 0.8−1 mm across; schizocarps ca. 1 mm long and before splitting heart-shaped, minutely bumpy or with obscure ribs or wrinkled .. Apiastrum angustifolium [pics]
8' Upper cauline leaves helically alternate, aromatic like carrot (Daucus); stems cylindric without ridges and teeth; flowers 1−1.5 mm across; schizocarps mostly 1.8−3 mm long with prominent corky ribs .. Cyclospermum leptophyllum [pics]
7' Biennial herbs having leaves mostly > 100 mm long
9 Stems with conspicuous deep purplish red spots; leaves finely dissected, strongly musty-scented; involucre of 3−8 bracts, 2−6 mm long; involucel of 2−6 bractlets fused below midpoint; petals unequal, 0.6−1.7 mm long .. Conium maculatum [pics]
9' Stems lacking purplish red spots; leaves aromatic with pleasant, culinary scent; petals equal or subequal
10 Leaves odd-1-pinnately compound with to 12 pairs of sessile, ovate-triangular to broadly lanceolate, unlobed and regularly serrate lateral leaflets, mildly aromatic like carrot (Daucus); stems ± cylindric; involucre of 8−10 ± free, radiating bracts 6−30 mm long, involucel of 4−8 bractlets; filaments ± 1.5 mm long; ovary urn-shaped to rectangular, ca. 1 mm long and often purplish above midpoint .. Berula erecta [pics]
10' Leaves ± 2-pinnately compound with 1−several pairs of stalked, palmately lobed and irregularly toothed lateral leaflets, strongly aromatic like celery (Apium); stems strongly ridged; involucre and involucel absent; filaments 0.3−0.7 mm long; ovary club-shaped, ca. 0.5 mm long, 10-ribbed .. Apium graveolens [pics]
6' Plants with at least some hairs on shoots
11 Mericarps with bristles or conspicuous bumps (tuberculate)
12 Annuals; leaves finely dissected
13 Inflorescence lateral and opposite leaf; involucre absent (1 bract)
14 Petals subequal within each flower; mericarps ca. 4 mm long, elongate with beak, lacking ribs, with hooked bristles but bristles absent on beak, lacking hairs .. Anthriscus caucalis [pics]
14' Petals unequal within each flower; mericarps about as long as broad, 2−4 mm long, with hooked bristles in rows alternating with white hairs on at least some mericarps (others tuberculate), the bristles with minute hooks along shaft and barbed at tip .. Torilis
13' Inflorescence terminal
15 Foliage without aroma; involucre absent, involucel of 2−6 bractlets; mericarps 15−80 mm long, with a persistent stylopodium and style forming a long, seedless beak, scabrous with upward-pointing barbs along ribs and beak .. Scandix pecten-veneris [pics]
15' Foliage aromatic like carrot (Daucus); involucre and involucel present; mericarps 2−3.5 mm long, lacking a long beak
16 Umbellets (4−)8−many, in conspicuous, flat-topped compound umbel (nestlike in fruit); mericarps with rows of bristles barbed at tip and ribs with hairs or prickles .. Daucus
16' Umbellets 1−3, loosely grouped; mericarps with hooked bristles radiating from grooves and shorter, pointed hairs along ribs .. Yabea microcarpa [pics]
12' Perennial herbs (oak woodland); thick-taproot with caudex licorice-scented; leaves odd-2-pinnately compound and lobed, to 570 mm long, blades of leaflets lobed and serrate, sparsely short-pilose; flowers bisexual and staminate; petals 2−2.5 mm long + tip, pale green; mericarps 12−20 mm long, 5 ribs with ascending bristles, with slender beak .. Osmorhiza brachypoda [pics]
11' Mericarps lacking bristles and bumps, conspicuously winged, 8+ mm long, the wings initially purple, with 3 ribs and scattered hairs on outer surface; perennial herbs with highly dissected basal and cauline leaves, having short, erect white hairs; involucel extending far beyond flower but involucre absent or with only 1 bract; petals green but appearing greenish white due to hairs .. Lomatium dasycarpum subsp. dasycarpum [pics]
1 Annuals, 1-stemmed at base, with slender taproot and feathery basal leaves; compound umbel 4−15(−25) mm across, mostly with 8−16 primary rays; petals 0.3 mm long; mericarps 2−2.5 mm long, with bristles 0.2−0.6 mm long and prickles 0.5−1.2 mm long .. Daucus pusillus [pics]
1' Bienniel herbs, several−many-stemmed at base, with thick taproot; compound umbel (12−)30−65 mm across, with 28−60+ primary rays; petals of bisexual flowers 1−2.5 mm long and conspicuously unequal and heteromorphic within a flower; mericarps 3−3.5 mm long, stiff hairy and bristles 1.2−1.5 mm long .. Daucus carota [pics]
1 Leaves leathery, 1−2-pinnately 3-foliolate, with primary leaflets deeply 2−3-lobed and having blades coarsely and sharply dentate, glabrous; blade of terminal leaflet 15−55 × 15−50 mm; flowers unisexual (monoecious); ovary glabrous at top; mericarps notched at top and bottom .. Lomatium lucidum [pics]
1' Leaves ± soft and finely dissected, 3−4-pinnately divided and 3-dimensional, somewhat hairy; flowers bisexual (occasionally with pistillate flowers, gynomonoecious); ovary with white hairs at top; mericarps cordate at base
2 Plants several-stemmed at base with many, crowded basal leaves; petioles partially sheathing but many-ridged, 25−120 mm long; ultimate divisions of leaves 1−3(−6) × 0.3−0.7 mm, short-pilose to short-tomentose; bractlets of umbellet lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 0.5−15 mm long and some conspicuously exceeding flowers; petals green with short white hairs .. Lomatium dasycarpum subsp. dasycarpum [pics]
2' Plants typically 1-stemmed at base with uncrowded basal and cauline leaves; petioles sheathlike, ± inflated, > 15 mm long; ultimate divisions of leaves mostly linear to narrowly oblong, 3−15(−25) × 0.8−1.2 mm, puberulent (glabrous); bractlets of umbellet fan-shaped with serrate tips, 2−5 mm long and not exceeding flowers; petals bright yellow .. Lomatium utriculatum [pics]
Sanicula L.
SNAKEROOT, SANICLE
1 Basal leaves coarsely dissected, deeply palmately lobed, with principal divisions usually at least 4 mm wide, aromatic like celery (Apium); petiole winged only at base, with glandlike bodies approaching blade;
2 Plants mostly 1-stemmed at base, erect and typically 50−130 mm tall; blades 50−150 mm long, terminal lobe obovate and 20−50+ mm wide, serrate; umbellets in flower 2−4 mm across; stamens 5, filaments ± 1 mm long .. Sanicula crassicaulis [pics]
2' Plants several-stemmed at base, mostly decumbent and < 30 cm tall; blades 30−95 mm long, terminal lobe oblanceolate and 10−20 mm wide, strongly toothed; umbellets in flower 6−8 mm across; stamens 5 or 10, filaments 2.5−3.5 mm long .. Sanicula arguta [pics]
1' Basal leaves finely dissection, pinnately divided to 1−2-compound, with principal divisions < 2 mm wide, strongly aromatic; petiole wings often to midpoint, lacking glandlike bodies;
3 Bractlets subtending pedicels 1−2 mm long; sepals and petals 4(−5), petals greenish yellow to pale yellowish green; filaments 0.7−1.4 mm long; mericarps with stout, radiating, hooked prickles 0.5−1 mm long with bulbous bases; pedicels of staminate flowers < fruits .. Sanicula bipinnata [pics]
3' Bractlets subtending pedicels 3−5.5 mm long; sepals and petals 5, petals bright yellow; filaments ± 2 mm long; mericarps bumpy and lacking hooked prickles; pedicels of staminate flowers conspicuously > fruits .. Sanicula tuberosa [pics]
1 Leaves obviously 2-pinnately compound with stalked primary leaflets, papillate-hairy; many compound umbels only staminate; petals 2.5−3.5 mm long; mericarps 4−5.3 mm long, ribs < 0.2 mm tall with several fine, parallel wrinkles in each interval between ribs .. Tauschia hartwegii [pics]
1' Leaves mostly 1-pinnately compound but occasionally lobed and appearing somewhat 2-compound, most primary leaflets unlobed, glabrous; compound umbels with both bisexual outer flowers and staminate central flowers; petals 1.1−2 mm long; mericarps 5−6.5 mm long, ribs 0.4−0.6 mm tall .. Tauschia arguta [pics]
Torilis Adans.
HEDGE PARSLEY, SOCK-DESTROYER
1 Plants erect; leaf lobes 2−5 mm wide; peduncle axillary, > leaf, flexible, < 1 mm diameter, > 50 mm long; umbel open with rays and pedicels ± equal; petals unequal; outer and inner fruit halves equally prickly .. Torilis arvensis [pics]
1' Plants spreading to ascending; leaf lobes 1−2.5 mm wide; peduncle opposite leaf, < leaf, stiff, 1.5 mm diameter, < 35 mm long; umbel headlike with rays and pedicels short and unequal; petal ± equal; outer fruit half prickly, inner half only with bumps (tuberculate) .. Torilis nodosa [pics]
The text of the above keys used with permission from
A Naturalist's Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California
© Copyright
Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
2013