Osmorhiza brachypoda
Encyclopedia
Osmorhiza 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 up to 20 centimeters long which are divided into toothed or lobed leaflets. The blade is borne on a long petiole
. The inflorescence
is a compound umbel
of many tiny greenish yellow flowers at the tip of a stemlike peduncle
. The narrow, elongated fruit is ribbed and bristly, measuring up to 2 centimeters long.
This is the only known host plant for the California endemic moth Greya suffusca.
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 California sweet cicely. It is native to mountainous and wooded areas of 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...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It is a hairy, aromatic perennial herb growing 30 to 80 centimeters tall. The green leaves have blades up to 20 centimeters long which are divided into toothed or lobed leaflets. The blade is borne on a long petiole
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...
. 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 tiny greenish yellow flowers at the tip of a stemlike peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
. The narrow, elongated fruit is ribbed and bristly, measuring up to 2 centimeters long.
This is the only known host plant for the California endemic moth Greya suffusca.