Angelica pubescens

Angelica pubescens is a robust perennial herb of the carrot family (Apiaceae), reaching up to 1-2 m tall. It develops a thick, short, somewhat cylindrical taproot that is oily and intensely aromatic. The stout, hollow stem is often purplish near the base and bears large, two- to three-pinnately compound leaves with broad, toothed, ovate leaflets; the petiole bases are inflated into sheaths that clasp the stem. Tiny white flowers are borne in large compound umbels with numerous rays during summer. The fruit is a flattened, broadly winged schizocarp typical of the genus. Native to China and Japan, it grows in moist, shaded soils on hills and low mountain slopes, and the species (notably forma biserrata) is cultivated for its medicinal root.