Citation: Coville, Contr. U.S. natn. Herb. 4:115 (1893).

Synonymy: Sium erectum Hudson, Fl. Angl. 103 (1762); S. angustifolium L., Sp. Pl. edn 2:1672 (1763); B. angustifolia (L.)Mertens & Koch in Roehi., Deutschl. Fl. edn 3, 2:433 (1826); Carum sioides J. Black, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 36:22, t. 3 [A] (1912); S. latifolium sensu Benth., Fl. Aust. 3:336 (1867), partly, non. L.; S. latijugum sensu J. Black, Nat. Fl. S. Aust. 71 (1909), non C.B. Clarke.

Common name: Lesser water-parsnip.

Description:
Erect glabrous perennial, 30-100 cm high; stem branched, hollow, finely striate at least at the lower internodes, more deeply furrowed higher up; leaves petiolate, 1-pinnate, with usually 7-10 pairs of leaflets, the lower 12-20 cm long; leaflets sessile, oblong-lanceolate to oblique-ovate, 1-4 cm long, sharply serrate, sometimes slightly lobed, those of the upper leaves smaller and usually irregularly serrate; peduncles 3-5 cm long.

Umbels 3-6 cm diam., leaf-opposed or axillary and terminal; involucral bracts 4-8, linear-lanceolate, usually entire, sometimes deeply toothed to 3-fid; rays 8-15, unequal, 10-20 mm long; bracteoles of involucel 4-8, linear-lanceolate, acute; pedicels 9-12 in 1 umbellule, slender, 2-5 mm long; flowers c. 2 mm diam.; sepals minute, triangular-subulate; petals white, with an acute inflexed apex; stylopodium conical.

Fruit broad-ovoid to almost orbicular, 1.5-2 mm long, often slightly broader than long, laterally compressed; mericarps with 5 obtuse fibs, in transection 5-angled with almost straight sides to almost orbicular; sometimes 1 mericarp abortive; vittae numerous, not visible from the outside, in transection forming an almost contiguous ring inside the evenly thick corky layer of the pencarp.

Published illustration: J. Black (1952) Fl. S. Aust., fig. 912, the vittae are incorrectly illustrated; Ross-Craig (1958) Drawings Brit. Pl. 12:t. 25.

Distribution:  It is possible that the European Sium latifolium L., Sp. Pl. 251 (1753), is also introduced to S.Aust.; however, there are no reliable records. S.Aust.: NL, MU, SL, SE.   ?Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.   Native to Europe, west and central Asia and northern America (including Mexico). Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Dec. — April.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: It can be distinguished from Berula erecta by the following characters: Plant not stoloniferous (sometimes propagating from buds formed on the roots); stem angularly furrowed; all umbels terminal; stylopodium flat or depressed; fruit ellipsoid, 3-4 mm long, 2-3 mm broad; mericarps with 5 thick prominent ribs, star-shaped in transection; vittae visible from the outside in the thin pericarp under the furrows.

Author: Not yet available