Dahurian angelica

Angelica dahurica (Fisch. ex Hoffm.) Benth. & Hook.f. is a stout aromatic perennial herb of the carrot family (Apiaceae), growing about 1-2 m tall from a thick, cylindrical, fleshy taproot some 2-5 cm across. The hollow, ribbed stem is purplish-green and the large leaves are two- to three-times pinnately divided into toothed segments, their bases forming inflated sheaths. Tiny white flowers are massed in large compound umbels of many rays, followed by flattened, broadly winged fruits (schizocarps) typical of the genus. Native to northeastern Asia, it occurs in China, Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East, growing in moist meadows, thickets and streamsides, and is widely cultivated as the source of the medicinal root. The dried root, fragrant and white to off-white inside, is the official drug bai zhi (白芷).