Corky-fruit water-dropwort

Oenanthe pimpinelloides, corky-fruited water-dropwort, is a hairless, upright perennial herb in the family Apiaceae with a native range extending from Ireland and southern Britain across western and southern Europe through Turkey and into western Asia (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) and northern Morocco; France is regarded as the centre of its distribution. The plant grows from clusters of ovoid tubers borne on slender roots some distance from the stem base, and the strongly grooved, solid stem rises to about 100 cm. Lower leaves are twice-pinnate with toothed ovate segments, while upper stem leaves are reduced and more deeply divided into narrow lobes. From June to August the plant produces flat-topped compound umbels of small white flowers; the fruits are corky, cylindrical schizocarps that thicken at the base, giving the species its English common name. Unlike its highly toxic relative O. crocata, this species has no record of harming humans or livestock and occurs commonly in damp meadows and pastures.