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Angelica sylvestris

Angelica sylvestris

9.8
A European wild herb with divided leaves and white flower clusters in damp meadows and woods
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : angélica silvestre
  • The white umbels of Angelica sylvestris attract many pollinators during summer.

Examples

  • Angelica sylvestris thrives in damp meadows and woodland edges across Europe.

  • Botanists noted the spread of Angelica sylvestris on Cape Breton Island.

  • The Angelica sylvestris plant thrives in damp meadows.

  • Have you seen an Angelica sylvestris flower before?

  • Angelica sylvestris grows best in shaded areas and moist soil found in European woodlands.

  • The fragrant leaves of Angelica sylvestris can be used in herbal remedies.

  • In the spring, Angelica sylvestris produces clusters of delicate white flowers in meadows.

Synonyms

wild angelica
vsAngelica sylvestris
  • UK
7.4

A European plant with many leaves and clusters of small white or pink flowers that grows in wet meadows

emphasizes small white umbels and specific habitat in woods and damp meadows

Surface Forms

Morphology

angelica + sylvestris

The name is compositional: 'angelica' denotes a plant and the epithet 'sylvestris' (Latin for 'of the woods' / 'woodland') specifies its habitat, so together they yield 'woodland/wild angelica' which matches the species description. Although 'sylvestris' is a Latin epithet and may be unfamiliar, a learner who knows both constituents can predict the meaning via standard binomial naming patterns.

Etymology

Angelica sylvestris gets its name from two old words: Angelica comes from a story that an angel showed the plant as a 'medicine', and sylvestris means 'of the woods' because the herb grows wild in woods and damp meadows. So the name helps us remember that this is a healing plant found in the woods.