Annual; stems tending to be erect, usually branched, to 8 dm, mostly pubescent; lf-segments elliptic to narrowly oblong, hirsutulous beneath; rays 1-4, mostly 3, in fr stiffly erect or ascending; pedicels 3-10, becoming much thickened and often clavate; fr lanceolate, 5.5-8 mm, concavely narrowed to a short beak, the ribs stout, from a little narrower than to more often equaling or wider than the intervals; 2n=22. Moist to dry sandy soil; se. Va., Ky., s. Ind., and e. Neb., s. to Fla., Tex. and Ariz. Mar.-May. (C. floridanum) Two European biennials have been reported as casuals along the Atlantic seaboard. C. temulum L. has 6-10 rays, lance-ovate bractlets, and oblong to ovate lf-segments. C. bulbosum L. has 10-20 rays, lance- linear bractlets, and lanceolate to linear lf-segments.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

From Flora of Indiana (1940) by Charles C. Deam

Abundant along the L. & N. Railroad about 6 miles west of Solitude in Posey County. At this place the railroad runs along the base of Brewer Hill in the alluvial flood plain of the Wabash River.

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Indiana Coefficient of Conservatism: C = 1

Wetland Indicator Status: N/A

Diagnostic Traits: decumbant annual or biennial, villous proximally; leaves ternately decompound; umbel simple or 2-4 primary rays, ebracteate; umbellets 3-10 flowered, bractlets present; petals white; fruits lance-oblong, to 10 mm long.