Apiaceae FAMILY

Petroselinum crispum

Edibility

4/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

Parsley is said to contain the alleged 'psychotroph' myristicine[ 218 Title Medicinal Plants of China Publication Author Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Publisher Reference Publications, Inc. Year 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4 Description Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject. ]. Excessive contact with the plant can cause skin inflammation[ 274 Title Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Publication Author Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Website http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm Publisher Botanical Research Institute, Texas. Year 1999 ISBN 1-889878-01-4 Description An excellent flora, which is also available on-line. ]. Although perfectly safe to eat and nutritious in amounts that are given in recipes, parsley is toxic in excess, especially when used as an essential oil[ 238 Title Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Publication Author Bown. D. Publisher Dorling Kindersley, London. Year 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31 Description A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant. ].

Botanical Description

Petroselinum crispum is an erect, branched, biennial to short-lived perennial plant growing about 60cm tall. Parsley is one of the most popular of culinary herbs, it is commonly cultivated for its edible leaves and also has a range of medicinal and other uses[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeProbably originally native to the Balkans in Europe and to northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria), the plant is naturalized through Europe and elsewhere

HabitatGrassy waste places on walls and rocks[ 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ], especially on limestone and near the coast[ 165 Title The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. Publication Author Mills. S. Y. Publisher Year ISBN Description An excellent small herbal. ].