Origin:
Introduced from Europe, and now an escape from cultivation in the western United States.
Biology:
A biennial or occasionally perennial, favoring moist soils. It can be a problem in some cultivated crops as well as in landscape.
Identification:
Mature plants are small, generally staying below 3 feet tall. The second year’s growth produces long but spindly stalks that have only a few branches on them. Clusters of small yellow flowers occur on the ends of these stalks in the manner typical of the family, as spreading, umbrella-like clusters. Leaves are extremely sparse, occurring alternate on the lower areas of the stems. They are long and spade-shaped, but deeply divided into many leaflets that are themselves deeply divided into narrow segments.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Biennials favoring moist soils.
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