GOLDEN MEADOW-PARSNIP 



GOLDEN MEADOW-PARSNIP. EARLY MEADOW- 

 PARSNIP 



Zizia aurea 



Zizia, in honor of Ziz, a Rhenish botanist. 



Perennial. In fields, meadows, and swamps. New 

 Brunswick to Florida, west to Dakotas and Texas. Com- 

 mon in northern Ohio. April-June. 



Stem. — Smooth, one to three feet high, hollow, green 

 with brownish tinge. 



Leaves. — Basal leaves long-petioled, compound in twos 

 or threes; leaflets ovate to lanceolate, sharply serrate; 

 upper leaves with sheathing petioles; leaflets twice or 

 thrice-parted. 



Flowers. — Brilliant yellow, in compound umbels two to 

 three inches across; no involucre; involucels of small 

 bracts; each tiny floret has five small petals; the 

 shape of the little umbels is globular rather than flat; 

 fifteen to twenty rays in each. 



Involucre. — Wanting; involucels of the small umbels of 

 several small bracts. 



Calyx. — Adherent to ovary, five-toothed. 



Corolla. — Petals five, bright yellow, incurved both in 

 bud and in bloom. 



Stamens. — Five. 



Pistil. — Of two carpels; styles two. 



Fruit. — Dry, ovoid; ribs usually winged. 



The golden-yellow clusters of the Early Meadow- 

 Parsnip often get into the race in April and are especi- 

 ally noticeable because of the pure brilliant yellow of 

 the massed florets. The inflorescence is a compound 

 umbel, that is, the flower-stems of each little cluster 



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