Settle Wildflowers - Day 83 - White 19 - Fool's Parsley (Fri 25 Sept)

I come back into Settle from Giggleswick Railway Station  having recorded 39 species of wild-plant still in flower at there including the three white flowers I posted in "Day 82."  25 Sept

It is cold.

In Settle I check for Fool's Parsley in Ashfield Carpark where I saw it ten years ago. 

Not there. 

I see some Ivy flowers almost out. "That will do for next week."

"Well I am almost finished now," I tell myself.  "I have a stock of flower pictures from August and September to write up, but there is very little else that is going to come out now."

I can relax.. 

I can even start to concentrate on Lichens from 1 October.

I walked to the Methodist Manse on Church Street to deliver a video on a stick to our minister.

And what did I see growing on the footpath outside their house?

Some really tall, healthy Fool's Parsley - Aethusa cynapium.

In fact... I wonder if I have seen it in Settle in the past and just thought it was Cow Parsley or Upright Hedge Parsley gone wrong.

The main umbel does not have any bracts, but the secondary umbels do have about 3 bracteoles each (the green bits hanging down)

Look at the ribs on the fruit

What makes this plant different from

1. Upright Hedge Parsley, (that comes out in July-Aug)

2. Rough Chervil, (that comes out in June-July)

3. Cow Parsley. (that comes out in May-June)

?

These others all have hairs on their leaves to some extent. 

Fool's Parsley has hairless stems and hairless leaves. 

Oh, and Fool's Parsley  is related to Hemlock and to Water Dropwort (also hairless)  these three (including Fool's Parsley) are all poisonous.

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