The plant has a root of a purple color, and a smooth, dark-purple, furrowed, hollow, glaucous stem, 5 or 6 feet high, and 1 or 2 inches in diameter. The leaves are ternately divided and the large petioles much inflated, channeled on the upper side; the leaflets are pinnate, 5 to 7 in number, sharply cut-serrate, acute, pale beneath, the terminal one sometimes 3-lobed, the lateral one of the upper division decurrent. The pale, greenish-white flowers are borne in three large, terminal, many-rayed, spreading, spherical umbels, 6 to 8 inches in diameter, without the involucre. The umbellets are dense, sub-hemispheric, on angular stalks, and with involucels of subulate bracts longer than the rays. The calyx 5-toothed; the petals equal, entire, with the point inflected. The involucels are short, about 8-leaved. The fruit is smooth, compressed, elliptic, somewhat solid and corticate.

Carminative and stomachic (leaves); carminative, diaphoretic, sedative, stomachic and tonic (root); aromatic, stimulant, expectorant, diuretic, and emmenagogue

Plants for a Future
King's American Dispensatory

In the treatment of colds, rheumatism etc (leaves); in the treatment of fevers, colds, flatulent colic and other stomach disorders, obstructed menses and as a general tonic for women, as a gargle for sore throats and mouths and as a poultice for broken bones, swellings etc (infusion)