'''Angelica''' is a genus of about 50 species of tall biennial and perennial
herbs in the family
Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the
Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far North as
Iceland and
Lapland. They grow to 1-2 m tall, with large bipinnate
leaves and large compound umbels of white or greenish-white
flowers.
;Species
★ ''Angelica ampla'' - Giant Angelica
★ ''
Angelica archangelica'' - Garden Angelica, Archangel, Angelique
★ ''Angelica arguta'' - Lyall's Angelica
★ ''Angelica atropurpurea'' - Purplestem Angelica, Alexanders
★ ''Angelica breweri'' - Brewer's Angelica
★ ''
Angelica californica'' - California Angelica
★ ''Angelica callii'' - Call's Angelica
★ ''Angelica canbyi'' - Canby's Angelica
★ ''Angelica cartilaginomarginata''
★ ''Angelica dahurica'' - ''bai zhi'' in Chinese
★ ''Angelica dawsonii'' - Dawson's Angelica
★ ''Angelica dentata'' - Coastalplain Angelica
★ ''Angelica genuflexa'' - Kneeling Angelica
★ ''Angelica gigas''
★ ''
Angelica gigas'' - ''Cham dangwi'' in Korean
★ ''Angelica glabra'' - synonym for ''Angelica dahurica''
[1]
★ ''Angelica grayi'' - Gray's Angelica
★ ''Angelica hendersonii'' - Henderson's Angelica
★ ''Angelica keiskei'' -- ''Ashitaba'' in Japanese
★ ''Angelica kingii'' - King's Angelica
★ ''Angelica lineariloba'' - Poison Angelica
★ ''
Angelica lucida'' - Seacoast Angelica
★ ''Angelica pachyacarpa''
★ ''Angelica palustris''
★ ''Angelica pinnata'' - Small-leaf Angelica
★ ''
Angelica pubescens''
★ ''Angelica roseana'' - Rose Angelica
★ ''
Angelica sinensis'' - Dong quai
★ ''Angelica scabrida'' - Charleston Mountain Angelica
★ ''
Angelica sylvestris'' - Wild Angelica
★ ''Angelica tomentosa'' - Woolly Angelica
★ ''Angelica triquinata'' - Filmy Angelica
★ ''Angelica venosa'' - Hairy Angelica
★ ''Angelica wheeleri'' - Utah Angelica
Cultivation and uses

Wild Angelica (''Angelica sylvestris'') from Thomé, ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'' 1885
Some varieties are grown as a
flavoring agent and for their
medicinal properties. The most notable of these is
Garden Angelica (''A. archangelica'') which is commonly known simply as 'angelica'. Natives of Lapland use the fleshy roots as food and the stalks as medicine. Crystallized strips of young angelica stems and midribs are green in colour and are sold as decorative and flavoursome cake decoration material but may also be enjoyed on their own. The roots and seeds are sometimes employed to flavor
gin and
Chartreuse.
Seacoast Angelica (''A. lucida'') has been eaten as a sort of wild
celery.
''A. sylvestris'' and some other species are eaten by the
larvae of some
Lepidoptera species including
Bordered Pug,
Grey Pug,
Lime-speck Pug and
The V-Pug.
''A. dawsonii'' was used by several first nations in North America for ritual purposes
''A. atropurpurea'' is found in North America from
Newfoundland west to
Wisconsin and south to
Maryland and was smoked by Missouri tribes for colds and respiratory ailments. This species is very similar in appearance to the poisonous
water hemlock
Notes
1. Pimenov, M.G. and M.V. Leonov. "The Asian Umbelliferae Biodiversity Database (ASIUM) with Particular Reference to South-West Asian Taxa." Turkish Journal of Botany Vol 28 (2004) pp139-145. online at the TJB Website accessed 5 July 2006.
External links
★
UVSC Herbarium - Angelica