Plant ID to confirm Angelica?

[lostplanet]

We have a load of this growing on the marshes, it's growing along side some similar looking plants which i have yet to confirm ID.

after a good search round i think this is angelica, although i have looked at cow parsley, fools parsley, Hemlock and cowsbane.

Pics below.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/lostplanet/000_0033.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/lostplanet/000_0034-1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/lostplanet/000_0035.jpg

If it is confirmed as angelica, what are its uses? apart from what i've read on wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelica

Cheers

 

[lostplanet]

Actually i think i'm wrong, could it be alexanders? coz of the 3 leaves on each stem?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexanders

 

[JonnyP]

Actually i think i'm wrong, could it be alexanders? coz of the 3 leaves on each stem?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexanders

Yep, Alexanders...

Glossy leaves are a good thing to note, but being near the sea and having yellow flowers.. Not too many umbellifers with yellow flowers...
If you want to eat, try to get stems that are more in the shade, so will be not so green. It was a bit too pungent for my taste buds, but found it good roasted...
Make certain of your id before eating...

 

[chickenofthewoods]

I'd agree, Alexanders - which is now getting way over the hill in our part of the world. Aromatic scent when you crush or cut it, strongly flavoured, smooth stem etc etc.

Probably better off with that than Angelica if I'm honest as although they have the similar potential uses (stem peeled in soups & as a veg, leaves in soups, roots peeled of scraped as a veg, flowers in salads, seed as a condiment), Angelica is harder to find in the wild and is used for as a sweetener whereas Alexanders is pretty common (if not extensive) & more savoury.

For a useful list of plants have a look at the Plants for a Future database*, it's an excellent resource for info not least because they're actually growing and trying many of the plants themselves at their place down in Cornwall.

* http://pfaf.org/index.php

 

[lostplanet]

having trouble actually being happy what this plant is...

it appears to be alexander but it does have a redish tint to the stem and as the pic shows looks more like and angelica sheaf, where as the alexander pics i have seen dont have this.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/lostplanet/000_0036.jpg
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/anegl037-l.jpg

just want to be sure as i think there is water hemlock in the area

 

[lostplanet]

wrong...please ignore