Short's spreading chervil

Description

Chaerophyllum procumbens is 15 to 50 centimeters tall. Several slender branching stems emerge from the base of the plant. The stems are shiny, but have a line of fine hairs running up them. The mostly hairless triangular compound leaves are doubly pinnate, with leaflets that are themselves pinnatifid. The lower leaves are borne on petioles, the upper leaves are smaller and nearly sessile. The upper stems terminate in compound umbels consisting of approximately 2 to 6 umbellets, each with 1 to 7 small white flowers with 5 petals. The flowers often bloom before the umbels have fully expanded. The fruit is an oblong capsule, 4 to 6 millimeters long, with longitudinal ridges.