Weed Information: Anthriscus caucalis (chervil, bur)
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Anthriscus caucalis (chervil, bur)

Family: Apiaceae

Description

Similar in appearance to the young growth of poison-hemlock but the plants often flowering while less than 2 feet tall, in the spring. The foliage and stems of Anthriscus caucalis are quite hairy, while those of poison hemlock are hairless. The fruit is a rough bur with a distinct beak. This species is extremely aggressive and has a very wide ecologic amplitude, allowing it to invade a broad variety of habitats.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • White
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Compound umbel
Number of Petals
  • 5 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Petal Tip
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • < 1 mm (< .04 inch)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • sepals lacking
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 2 styles
Number of Stamens
  • 5 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens NOT attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 2 carpels
Ovary Position
  • Inferior (epigynous)
Fruit Type
  • Schizocarp
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Pinnately dissected
Stipules
  • Lacking
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole < 25% total length
  • Petiole 25% - 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Parted
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Acuminate (attenuate)
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acute
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Hirsute
  • Hispid or setose
  • Scabrous (like sand paper)
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Annual
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
  • 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)
  • 6 - 8 dm (2.0 - 2.6 feet)
  • 8 - 10 dm (2.6 - 3.3 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Mesic
  • Arid
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Tap Root

US State
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Delaware
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Louisiana
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Indiana
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Idaho
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
Canadian Province or Territory
  • British Columbia
  • Nova Scotia

  • Gilkey`s Weeds of the Pacific Northwest, 1980 (ISBN 0-88246-039-0) See page: 203
  • Selected Weeds of Oregon, 1985 and 1989 Supplement (s) Oregon State Dept. of Agriculture, See page: s30
  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 117
  • Weeds of Eastern Washington and Adjacent Areas, 1972 (LOC 72-83635) See page: 198
  • Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 16
  • Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 16
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 X
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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