; leaflets cordate at the base (8-15 dm. high;
summer) =Spikenard, Aralia racemosa.=

5b. Leaf and flower-stalk arising from the ground; leaflets acute at the
base (2-4 dm. high; spring) =Wild Sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicaulis.=

UMBELLIFERAE, the Parsley Family

Herbs, with alternate, usually compound leaves, the petioles dilated at
the base; flowers small, in umbels or heads; sepals 5, minute or even
wanting; petals and stamens each 5; ovary inferior, with 2 styles,
ripening into a dry fruit.

1a. Leaves simple (flowers in summer) --2.

1b. Leaves compound, or at least deeply cleft --4.

2a. Leaves linear, sword-shape (4-10 dm. tall; flowers
greenish-white) =Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium.=

2b. Leaves kidney-shape or almost circular (stems creeping, about
1 dm. high; flowers white) (Water Pennywort) --3.

3a. Leaves peltate, attached by the center
=Water Pennywort, Hydrocotyle umbellata.=

3b. Leaves not peltate, attached by the margin
=Water Pennywort, Hydrocotyle americana.=

4a. Flowers yellow or purple --5.

4b. Flowers white or greenish --13.

5a. Leaf-segments entire (4-8 dm. high) --6.

5b. Leaf-segments toothed or incised --7.

6a. Leaf-segments filiform (summer) =Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare.=

6b. Leaf-segments ovate to lanceolate
=Golden Alexander, Taenidia integerrima.=

7a. Leaves pinnately compound; some of the leaflets incised or
pinnatifid --8.

7b. Leaves ternately compound; the segments crenate or serrate --9.

7c. Leaves deeply palmately cleft or divided; flowers in head-like
umbels --18a.

8a. Leaf-segments obtuse, rounded, or cordate at the base (6-15 dm.
high; summer) =Wild Parsnip, Pastinaca sativa.=

8b. Leaf-segments narrowed to the base (4-8 dm. high; spring)
=Prairie Parsley, Polytaenia nuttallii.=

9a. Terminal leaflets conspicuously stalked, their total length,
including stalk, at least 50% greater than the length of the lateral
leaflets (Meadow Parsnip) --10.

9b. Terminal leaflets not conspicuously stalked, their total length,
including stalk, about equaling the lateral leaflets (4-8 dm. high;
late spring) (Golden Alexander) --12.

10a. Flowers purple (4-8 dm. high; ea