Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Hemlock-parsley - Conioselinum chinense   (L.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenburg
Members of Apiaceae:
Only member of Conioselinum in NC.
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Section 6 » Order Apiales » Family Apiaceae
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Author(L.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenburg
DistributionKnown only from Grandfather Mountain, on the Avery/Caldwell county line; last seen 1989. A specimen and report from Roan Mountain in Mitchell County (Mellichamp, Matthews, and Smithka 1987) actually refer to Anthriscus.

This is a Northern species, ranging from eastern Canada south to northern NJ, PA, and IA, and south only to one site each in the Mountains of VA and NC. Despite the scientific epithet, it is native to North America and the eastern U.S.
AbundanceNear the top of Grandfather Mountain, it is reasonably common, in at least one area. Not known anywhere else in the state. This is a State Threatened species.
HabitatThis species grows in cold seepages at high elevation (over 4700 feet), in a boulderfield forest, in circumneutral soil.
PhenologyBlooms from July to September, and fruits shortly after flowering.
IdentificationThis is a fairly tall and erect herb, to about 3 feet tall, rarely to 4 feet tall. It has scattered alternate stem leaves, quite large and triangular, but as in all members of the umbel family they are highly dissected, double- or triple-pinnate into numerous slender leaflets. These leaflet lobes are narrow and finger-like, with rounded margins, with a very neat and "lacy", fern-like appearance. It has only a few umbels, each about 3-4 inches across, with small white flowers in umbellets. Each umbel is on a long stalk, and each ray (stalk of an umbellet) is long and inward curved; thus a given umbel looks fairly open and spread. As this species is limited to a rare habitat type, it is not likely to be confused with any other umbel species, though Angelica triquinata could grow in a similar place; it has very serrated leaflet margins and sharp clefts in the leaves and leaflets.
Taxonomic CommentsNone

Other Common Name(s)Eastern Hemlock-parsley
State RankS1
Global RankG5
State StatusT
US Status
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B.A. SorriePhoto taken 1982 in calcareous swamp margin, Canaan, CT. Photo_non_NCPhoto_non_NC
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