Pastinaca sativa (L) Wild Parsnip
NOMENCLATURE
Pastinaca : from Latin, pastus: pasture. Or pastinare: to dig..
Or pastum: food. Or pastinaca: a carrot, something dug up: Or pastinum : fork.
sativum: sown, cultivated.
Parnsnip : from old French : pasnie, transformed to passenep, as in nape: garden root.
PREVIOUS NAMES: Peucadanum sativum (L) Bentham ex Hooker fil.
OTHER NAMES : cow cakçes, (Rox, Loth). Cow flip, keggas, (Corn). Panais, (France). Pastinace,
(Spain). Pastinak, (Danish, Germany). Pastinaak, (Dutch). Elaphovoskon, (Greek). Pasternak,
(Russia). Pastinak, navadni rebrinek, (Yug).
BSBI Picture Link to Pastinaca sativa
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
TYPE : erect >or< pubescent biennial. Hs. H: 180cm
ROOTS : hard, woodie, aromatic, sweet, wiry. STEMS :: hollow or solid, furrowed >or< angled.
UMBELS : compound. 3-10 cm diameter. Rays 4-17, 1.5-8cm, unequal, puberulent-papillose.
Peduncles variable. Terminal umbel hermaphrodite on outside, male inside. Lateral male only.
LEAVES :simply pinnate, segments usually 2-5(10)cm, (2)5-11 pairs, ovate, cuneate
to rounded at base, coarsely serrate, puberulent on both surfaces. Petiole of flower
inflated at base. Upper petioles inflated throughout.
BRACTS : & bracteoles 0 or 1-2, caducous. FLOWERS :yellow. Calyx teeth 0. Petals with a
truncate-involute point. Styles forming stylopodium. Sepals absent. Fl. 7-8.
FRUIT : 5-7 mm. Broadly ovoid or orbicular, strongly dorsally compressed. Commisure broad.
Carpels with broad flat narrowly. winged margin. Dorsal ridges filiform, distant from
lateral vittae in each furrow. Carpophore present. Vittae tapering at the ends. Pedicels >
than fruit, puberulent-papillose. Styles > than stylopodium, recurved, stout. Stigma capitate.
Carpel weight: 0.003 gm. 2n=22.
HABITAT : grassland, scrub, roadsides. Often with Greater
Knapweed & Upright Brome. Calcerous soil, chalk, limestone.
DISTRIBUTION : native. C.& S. Britain,local in S.& E. Wales, Scot Holland & Germany
S.. Naturalised in Ireland. Intro. N. & S. America, Australia, New Zealand.
BSBI Distribution Map for Pastinaca sativa (UK)
SUBSPECIES : Subsp. sativa; Subsp. sylvestris.
MEDICINAL USES
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS : roots: carbohydrates : 18%, Vit. ABC, calcium, phosphorous, iron, proteins.
PARTS : collect root after frosts. Leaves & shoots before flowering, mature seeds.
APPLICATION : kidney disorders; diurectic, dislodging obstructions of the intestines:
strong decoction intermittent fever: Oil in seeds. Jaundice & gravel cure.
HISTORICAL MEDICINAL USES
Culpepper : "Easeth pains, stitches, expels wind from stomach, colic. Good for veins"
John Wesley: "Leaves & stalk bruised for cancer, asthma, consumption."
EDIBLE USES
Wild form young leaves & shoots added to soup or as a veg. Older leaves & roots blanched with
boiled salted water to remove sharp flavour as veg. Fruits make a fine condiment. Eaten with salt
fish & boiled eggs during Lent. Included in marmalade preserve. Used in brew houses of N. Irish
farms with hops in beers. Cultivated over 2000 years to produce the edible parsnip, Subsp. sativa,
large root edible boiled, makes fine wine, similar to Malsey of Maderia.
Parsnip soup : cut up 2 roots, 6 potatoes, boil, mash, sieve, boil water,
put on to slices of bread, add 2oz butter.
Stewed parsnip : cut up 3 roots, boil till nearly done, cool, melt 3oz bacon fat, fry roots
until light brown, add tblspn flour, moisten with brown stock, season with salt, pepper,
loz tomato sauce, boil, simmer 20 min.
Parsnip cakes : boil & mash roots with little butter,
add pepper & salt, dip in flour, form cakes, fry in lard.
Parsnip salad : boil, slice, add salt & pepper, mix with french oil & vinegar salad dressing.
Parsnip wine : 151b sliced parsnip boil in 5 gallons water, sieve, add 31b coarse lump
sugar to every gallon, boil 3/4 hour, when cold, add yeast on toast, keep
in tub for 10 days, stirring every day, put in a cask for a year.
Subsp.sativa also fed to pigs, making flesh white, washed & sliced with bran for horses.
Fed to cattle pigs, milch cows in Brittany & Channel Is. for good milk.
Pliny : Held in high regard by Emperor Tiberius,
who brought them annually to Rome from the Rhine.
GARDEN USES:
Well dug, deep manured soil in sun.
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR Pastinaca sativa
These links to trusted websites and institutions may provide in depth or additional information regards cultivation, chemistry, edibility, images etc. for the species. (Some cross over info with cultivated parsnip). Links last updated Aug 2012.
Wikipedia (EU) Plants For a Future (UK)
Bio Info (UK) Naturegate (FIN)
Nat Center for Bio Info (USA) Bio Images (UK)
APHOTOFLORA (UK)
Wisconsin Dep of Natural Resources (USA)
The Poison Garden Website (UK)
Weed Info (CAN) ABC Homoeopathy (UK)
'Online Guide To The Umbelliferae Of The British Isles' Compiled By J.M.Burton 2002
