BUR CHERVIL

Anthriscus caucalis

Carrot Family [Apiaceae]

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

A sward of Bur Chervil.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

An upright to sprawling annual plant, up to 70cm tall.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

The flowers are tiny, about 2 - 3mm across and few in number, and in small groups of five.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

The leaves are fern-like, finely divided, and 2- to 3-pinnate.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Flowers grow on in well-separated umbels of umbels, with few in each umbel. The upper parts of the plant do have hairs (contrary to Blamey Fitter and Fitter), long straight ones, but the lower stems lack them.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Like all members of the Umbellifer Family (Apiaceae) the flowers have five petals, but in this case they are af almost equal size; the flower symmetry is hemizygomorphic. Note the light-green burs around what will become the seed pods.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Flowers have a light-green double-rounded centre and five stamens with creamy anthers. The burs are hooked (under flower top right).

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Some anthers seem larger than others and light-green instead.

18th April 2014, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

The stylopodium is that two-humped green object sitting in the centre of each flower (caping the developing fruit below)

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

A very small umbel with a skirt of narrow and pointed bracts immediately beneath it. The hooked burs on the seed pods most easily discerned on the flower top left.

18th April 2014, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

The stylopodium (topmost) is still green and caps the growing fruits which have transparent hooked hairs on their lower half (best seen on the fruit at top right).

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

The lower stalk is hairless. Branches emerge from a white sheath cushioned by linty hairs.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Leaves finely divided and with longer hairs on the underside, especially along the mid-rib.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Pinnules terminated by a pointed hair.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Seed pods have hooked burs on lower ²/₃rds of the pod which is wider that the top 1/3rd, i.e. the fruit pods are 'beaked'.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Leaves doubly or triply-pinnate, and fern-like.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Leaves not dissimilar to those of Parsley Fern, nor to Parsley itself.

21st May 2012, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Note the groove on the upper surface of leaf stalks.

18th April 2014, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Upper surface of leaf.

18th April 2014, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast.

Photo: © RWD

Lower surface of leaf. The leaflets have small points at their apex.

Not to be confused with : Rough Chervil (Chaerophyllum temulum) [a plant with similar name which although in the same Umbellifer Family (Apiaceae) is in a differing Genus, that of Chaerophyllum]. Rough Chervil is taller, has larger umbels with more flowers in each umbel of umbels, and is darker green.

Easily mistaken for : many other small umbellifers.

Some similarities to : Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is much taller, whilst Garden Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) has larger leaf-lobes. Neither have seed pods with hooked burs as does Bur Chervil.

No relation to : the numerous Bur-Marigolds, Pirri-pirri-bur nor to the three Bur-reeds such as Branched Bur-Reed [plants with similar names belonging in differing families].

Anthriscus

caucalis

⇐ Global Aspect ⇒

Apiaceae

Distribution
family8Carrot family8Apiaceae
BSBI maps

Anthriscus
(Chervils)