European Marshwort

Description

Apium nodiflorum (synonym Helosciadium nodiflorum), commonly called fool's-water-cress, is a flowering plant found in ditches or streams and native to western Europe. It is a low-growing or prostrate perennial with pinnate leaves which have a vague resemblance to those of watercress. Apium nodiflorum has short-stalked umbels of very small white 5-petalled flowers which are opposite the leaves and grow from the side of the stem at the leaf axils. It blooms in July and August.It is not a poisonous plant, but it could be easily confused with the allegedly poisonous lesser water parsnip - Berula erecta. It is common throughout England, Wales and Ireland but is much less so in Scotland