Berula
Encyclopedia
Berula is a cosmopolitan monotypic genus of flowering plant
in the Apiaceae
, containing the single species Berula erecta, which is known by the common name cutleaf water parsnip, or also simply water parsnip as are some other plants in Apiaceae such as Sium latifolium
and Sium suave
. It is easily confused with the highly toxic water hemlock. Water parsnip is a widespread aquatic plant
found across Eurasia, Africa, North America, and elsewhere. It is a perennial plant forming stolon
s at the base where it roots in mud, often underwater. It extends hollow stems and umbel
s of white flowers. The leaves are fernlike and have several narrow to rounded leaflets.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the Apiaceae
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
, containing the single species Berula erecta, which is known by the common name cutleaf water parsnip, or also simply water parsnip as are some other plants in Apiaceae such as Sium latifolium
Sium latifolium
The Sium latifolium or Greater Water parsnip or sometimes simply Water parsnip is a plant species of the genus Sium....
and Sium suave
Sium suave
Sium suave , the Water Parsnip, is a herb belonging to the parsnip family and comes from Africa and some parts of the Northern Hemisphere.- Appearance :...
. It is easily confused with the highly toxic water hemlock. Water parsnip is a widespread aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
found across Eurasia, Africa, North America, and elsewhere. It is a perennial plant forming stolon
Stolon
In biology, stolons are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external skeletons.-In botany:...
s at the base where it roots in mud, often underwater. It extends hollow stems and umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
s of white flowers. The leaves are fernlike and have several narrow to rounded leaflets.