Angelica, or something else?

[Harvestman]

Came across a big patch of some very large unbellifers at an archeological site this evening. Didn't recognise the plant, so I took some pics. The biggest plant that I saw was at least 10 feet tall.

Now I know it isn't giant hogweed (lots of that around, and it looks nothing like these), and based on size alone then Angelica is a candidate, but I'm not yet convinced. Have a look at the pics please and see if you can tell me what this is.

The whole plant. Very silvery-looking stems on the lower part of the plant. I didn't check to see if this is a down that can be brushed off.


The leaves


The flowers had mainly gone over


The stems were blotched with purple, especially near the stem junctions. Stems got greener as you went up the plant.


I really don't know what it is (my thought in the field was wild parsnip, but I'm now fairly sure it isn't that) so all help would be appreciated.

 

[Harvestman]

Maybe hemlock?

 

[xylaria]

certainly not parnsip, hogweed. The stems look like hemlock to me.

 

[Kepis]

Red blotches indicate Hemlock, the leaf is the wrong shape for Angelica

 

[Harvestman]

Looking it up in my other plant book, the one I use less frequently, I'm becoming convinced that they are hemlock.

Interesting to find a plant I haven't seen before, but disappointing in that initially I though I'd found a great patch of something edible. Oh well...

 

[Geoff Dann]

Interesting to find a plant I haven't seen before...

It's very common where I come from. And believe it or not, Hemlock has been used as a food plant in Britain. It is said that either the plants in England aren't as toxic as those elsewhere, or that cooking them destroys the toxins. Plants For a Future give it one star for edibility, rather than zero.

 

[Geoff Dann]

...and I think that's not hemlock anyway. I think it's rough chervil (Chaerophyllum temulum), which is also poisonous.

 

[Harvestman]

Interesting, Geoff. Possibly.

My book says Rough Chervil has hairy stems, and hemlock is hariless. Hemlock has leaves very finely cut. Also my book doesn't give rough chervil as growing to 2m+ height.

I'm still going with Hemlock, as the picture of the stem (the one on the left) shows no signs of hairs, but I accept that Rough Chervil is a possibility.

Thanks for all the input to everyone so far.

 

[Chiseller]

Im going with hemlock, try crushing the stem and leaves.... Stinking of peee?

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[Geoff Dann]

Im going with hemlock, try crushing the stem and leaves.... Stinking of peee?

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Agreed, the smell would clinch it. It's probably hemlock...