Glehnia littoralis
Encyclopedia
Glehnia littoralis is a species of plant in the "carrot family", Apiaceae
, known by several common names including beach silvertop and American silvertop in English, and bei sha shen and shan hu cai in Chinese. The genus was named after Russian botanist Peter von Glehn
.
, and western North America from Alaska
to northern California
.
ed plant forming a basal patch of leaves, with each leaf made up of several rounded, lobular
segments. It reaches a maximum height exceeding half a meter and its erect stem is topped with an umbel
of carrotlike white flowers.
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...
, known by several common names including beach silvertop and American silvertop in English, and bei sha shen and shan hu cai in Chinese. The genus was named after Russian botanist Peter von Glehn
Peter von Glehn
Peter von Glehn was a Russian botanist.Peter von Glehn was born to a Baltic German landowner, member of the Glehn family, Peter von Glehn and Auguste Caroline Marie Burchart von Bellavary, member of the Burchardt family who took care of the Town Hall Pharmacy in Reval...
.
Distribution
It is native to eastern Asia, particularly eastern China, Japan, and far-eastern RussiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, and western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Characteristics
It is a long-taprootTaproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
ed plant forming a basal patch of leaves, with each leaf made up of several rounded, lobular
Lobe (anatomy)
In anatomy, a lobe is a clear anatomical division or extension that can be determined without the use of a microscope This is in contrast to a lobule, which is a clear division only visible histologically....
segments. It reaches a maximum height exceeding half a meter and its erect stem is topped with an 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....
of carrotlike white flowers.