Apiastrum is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the carrot family, Apiaceae (order Apiales), containing a single species: Apiastrum angustifolium, commonly known as mock parsley. The genus is native to the southwestern United States — specifically Arizona and California — and extends into northwestern Mexico, where it grows in a wide range of habitat types.
Apiastrum angustifolium is a slender annual herb that grows from a taproot, producing a branching stem up to about half a metre in height. The leaves are numerous along the stem, each up to approximately five centimetres long and divided into many narrow lobes, giving the plant a feathery, parsley-like appearance that accounts for its common name. Flowering stems bear several inflorescences, which typically — though not always — arise from the leaf axils. Each inflorescence is a compound umbel, the characteristic flower arrangement of the Apiaceae, composed of many tiny flowers with five pointed white petals.
As the only genus bearing the name Apiastrum, it occupies a modest but distinct place within the diverse and economically important carrot family, which also includes carrots, celery, parsley, and numerous aromatic herbs.
Distribution
Apiastrum angustifolium is native to Arizona, California, and northwestern Mexico, where it occurs across many habitat types. Its range is restricted to the southwestern corner of North America.
Taxonomy Notes
Apiastrum is a monotypic genus — it contains only one accepted species, Apiastrum angustifolium — and is placed in the family Apiaceae (the carrot or umbellifer family), order Apiales. GBIF records no authorship for the genus name.
