A perennial herbaceous plant which grows up to 1–2 m tall. The stems are smooth, branching, swollen at the base, purple-striped, and hollow except for partitions at the junction of the leaves and stem. The leaves are alternate, tripinnate, only coarsely toothed, unlike the ferny, lacy leaves found in many other members of the family Apiaceae. The flowers are small, white and clustered in the umbrella shape so familiar to this family.

Analgesic, antispasmodic, emetic, galactofuge and sedative (root)

Plants for a Future
A Text-Book of Materia Medica

In the treatment of epilepsy, meningitis, other ailments affecting the brain, as a local anodyne in rheumatic and neuralgic complaints, and gout