''Chaerophyllum procumbens'', known by the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s spreading chervil and wild chervil, is an annual forb native to the eastern United States and Canada, USDA, NRCS. 2014. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. which produces small white flowers in spring.

Description

''Chaerophyllum procumbens'' is 15 to 50 centimeters tall. Several slender branching stems emerge from the base of the plant. The stems are shiny, but have a line of fine hairs running up them. The mostly hairless triangular compound leaves are doubly pinnate, with leaflets that are themselves pinnatifid. The lower leaves are borne on petioles, the upper leaves are smaller and nearly sessile. The upper stems terminate in compound umbels consisting of approximately 2 to 6 umbellets, each with 1 to 7 small white flowers with 5 petals. The flowers often bloom before the umbels have fully expanded. The fruit is an oblong capsule, 4 to 6 millimeters long, with longitudinal ridges. Copyright © 2002-2012 John Hilty. Illinois Wildflowers (http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info)

Distribution and habitat

''Chaerophyllum procumbens'' is widely distributed in the eastern United States, although local distribution may be spotty. It has been recorded in Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. It has also been recorded in the Canadian province of Ontario. ''Chaerophyllum procumbens'' is listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

by the state of New York. In Virginia, it grows in habitats including floodplain forests and alluvial clearings. Virginia Botanical Associates. (2014). Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (http://www.vaplantatlas.org). c/o Virginia Botanical Associates, Blacksburg. The presence of this species is dependent on appropriate habitat, and it may be eliminated from an area by development, changes in land use, or competition with

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Chaerophyllum procumbens'' (spreading chervil)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15568538 procumbens Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the North-Central United States Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of Ontario Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Plants described in 1767 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora without expected TNC conservation status