About Sium latifolium L.
Sium latifolium is a species of flowering plant in the Apiaceae family, commonly called great water-parsnip, greater water-parsnip, and wideleaf waterparsnip. It is native to most of Europe, Kazakhstan, and Siberia. This plant grows in wet habitats including swamps and lakeshores, and sometimes grows directly in water. It is a perennial herb with a hollow, grooved stem that can reach up to 2 meters in height. Its above-ground plant tissue is green and hairless. Its leaves grow up to 30 centimeters long, with leaf blades attached to hollow petioles that clasp the stem at their bases. Its inflorescence is an umbel made up of white flowers. If dairy cows eat this plant, it typically gives the cow’s milk an unpleasant taste. The rootstock of this species is acrid and poisonous. However, cooked leaves of Sium latifolium have been eaten as a vegetable in Italy. Its ripe seeds, which are aromatic due to their limonene content, have been used in small quantities as a spice or seasoning in Scandinavian cuisine.
