About Osmorhiza claytonii (Michx.) C.B.Clarke
Osmorhiza claytonii is a pubescent herbaceous perennial that grows 45–90 centimetres (1–3 ft) tall. It is ternately branched, with three-leafed branches. Its leaves are large, yellowish green, compound, deeply divided, dentate, and have white hairs, with finer, less dense hairs than those found on the stem. The small white flowers measure 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in) across, and grow in clusters on a long-stalked umbel. This species is native to rich woods and wooded slopes. When broken, it produces an anise-like scent and flavor. The plant's seeds have barbs at their end that let them cling to clothing, animal fur, or bird feathers. In its ecology, small to medium-sized bees, wasps, flies, and beetles consume the nectar and pollen from its flowers. Caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes, feed on its foliage.
