Chaerophyllum villosum Wall.

A common plant in the hills from 2500 to 4000 m. The roots are used as wild carrots.

Plants annual, 70–120 cm high. Root fusiform. Lower leaves long-petiolate; petiole 2.5–7 cm, sheath pubescent; blade broadly ovate in outline, 10–20 × 5–10 cm, 3-ternate-pinnate; primary pinnae 5–6 pairs, broadly deltoid-lanceolate, 2.5–7 × 1.5–4 cm; ultimate segments ovate, small; both surfaces hispid or adaxial surface glabrous, finely serrate. Umbels to 6 cm wide; rays 2–5, 1.5–4 cm; bracteoles 2–6, linear, 1.5–4 × 1–1.5 mm, midrib conspicuous, margins ciliate. Umbellules 9–13-flowered, to 2 cm wide; staminate flowers 4–8 per umbellule, bisexual flowers 3–7 in each umbellule. Pedicels 1–2 mm, extending to 3–6 mm in fruit. Petals white, pale yellow or pale bluish purple, obovate. Style shorter than stylopodium. Fruit 7–9 × 1.5–2.5 mm, apex acuminate and beaked; ribs broad. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.

Plants up to 60 cm tall, pubescent. Roots elongated, fusiform. Lower stem densely hairy; hairs white, deflexed. Leaves 2-3-pinnate, pubescent; pinnae finely divided; leaf sheaths of the upper leaves inflated. Involucral bracts lacking. Rays 6-10, glabrous to pubescent. Involucel of 5-6 linear to lanceolate bractlets; margins white, ciliate or entire. Stylopodium shortly conical; styles short. Fruit cylindrical, 6-9 mm long, narrowed at the apex; 2-6 fruits in an umbellet, the central subsessile; ridges conspicuous; furrows 1-vittate. Inner seed face deeply sulcate.

Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan).

SW Sichuan, S Xizang, NW Yunnan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].

Distribution: Afghanistan, Himalayas in India and W. Pakistan.

2100-3500 m

Forests, open grassy places, roadsides; 2100–2800 m.