NOMENCLATURE
Angelica: heavenly properties. From angel, 14C. fusion of Old English engel and Old French angele, both from Latin angelus, from Greek, angelos, "messenger, envoy, one that announces," possibly related to angaros "mounted courier," both from an unknown Oriental word.
sylvestris: wild.
OTHER NAMES : Water squirt, (Som). Keiter, (Mor). Kesh, (Cumb). Ghost kex, (Yks). Grand ash,
(Berw, N. Eng). Ground elder, kedlock, keglus (Ches). Jack jump 'bout (N’thants). Jeelico, (N. Eng).
Kesh, (Cumb). Kewsies, (Lincs). Skytes, (Scot). Spoots, switiks, (Shet).
BSBI Picture Link to Angelica sylvestris
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
TYPE: stout glaborous perennial. Hs. TASTE: root: aromatic taste.
ROOTS : long thick. STEMS: hollow, purplish, pruinose, striate, pubescent towards base.
HEIGHT : <30-200> cm.
UMBELS : compound, terminal axillary 3-4; 5cm diam. Rays 15-40, 2-8cm, subequal rays
and peduncle densely puberulent on ridges, sparsely so between. Hermaphrodite only.
LEAVES : 30-60cm. 2-3 pinnate, deltate, lower primary divisions, of basal leaves long stalked,
segments sessile 1.5-8cm obliquely ovate lancolate, acute or cuspidate, serrate or biserrate,
cartilaginous teeth, >or< hispidulous both surfaces, at least on veins. Petioles laterally compressed,
deeply channeled on upper side, dilated and sheathing at base. Upper leaves reduced sheathing
petioles which >or< enclose the flower buds. Cotyledons contracted into a petiole.
BRACTS : 0-3, caducous. Bracteoles 6-10, linear, setaceous, puberulent, > as pedicels, persistent.
FLOWERS : white/pink, petals suberect, incurved, styles form a stylopodium.
Calyx teeth minute. Protandrous. Fl. 6-7.
FRUIT : 4-5mm. Wings scarious. Ovate, dorsally compressed, smooth. Commisure narrow.
Mericarps with prominent, obtuse dorsal ridges, broadly winged lateral margins, wings wider than
mericarp, undulate. Carpophore present. Vittae solitary. Pedicles 5-19mm, puberulent. Styles 3 x >
than stylopodium, recurved, stigma capitate. Protandrous. 2n=22.
HABITAT: fens, damp meadows & open woods river-banks, marshes.
DISTRIBUTION: native, <900m. Common in Britain, Europe. Rarer in South.
Temperate Asia Introduced to N. America.
BSBI Distribution Map to Angelica sylvestris
SUBSPECIES: 10cm plant occurs in turloghs in W. Ireland & exposed sites
in W Scotland, maybe a genetic dwarf.
MEDICINAL USES
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: essential oily cournarin derivatives.
APPLICATION : expectorant, stomach stimulant, catarhh, cough, dyspepsia: as decoction.
EDIBLE USES
Stems candied, gum arabic & rose water, sprinkled with sugar, or treated with honey
and stewed with rhubarb. Roots used in Vermouth, seeds flavour Chartuse. Prevents scurvy, can be stored. Stem was eaten fresh, leaves boiled to a stew for storage. Later cooked up with milk into a tasty dish. Its sweetness made it popular in the days before sugar. See also Garden Angelica A.archangelica for similar uses.
ETYMOLOGICAL USES
Angelica Flat-body Agonopterix angelicella. Large Carrot Flat-body Agonopterix ciliella. Yellow-spotted Lance-wing Phaulernis fulviguttella. Purple-shaded Piercer Pammene gallicana. Triple-spotted Pug Eupithecia trisignaria. White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria. Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata. Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella. Brindled Ochre Dasypolia templi. V-Pug Chloroclystis v-ata. Scarce Flat-body Depressaria discipunctella.
OTHER USES
Perfume house by burning seeds. Yields yellow dye
FOLKLORE
Known since ancient times as a remedy against all enchantments. Added to bath water to remove curses. Powdered root sprinkled around home to ward off evil. Closely associated with the Annunciation and with St. Michael who is said to have revealed the curative properties of angelica to a monk during the plague. Blooms on St. Michael's day, May 8th.
Carried as a charm to protect from plague. Collected from London fields & Lincoln’s Inn fields 1665. Children were given necklaces of the leaves. Culpeper 'collected when the sun is in Leo'. 1656 William Coles 'if a man carried angelica root he would be protected from evil'
"Contagious air ingendering pestilence infects not those that in the mouth have ta'en Angelica, that happy counterbane." unknown
It was also thought that angelica was an anaphrodisiac, 'abating lust in young persons'.
See also Garden Angelica A.archangelica for similar uses.
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR Angelica sylvestris
These links to trusted websites and institutions may provide in depth or additional information regards cultivation, chemistry, edibility, images etc. for the species. Links last updated Aug 2012. (Some cross over info with A. archangelica).
Wikipedia (EU) Plants For a Future (UK)
Bio Images (UK) APHOTOFLORA Images (UK)
Flowers under UV light (UK)
A Modern Herbal. M. Grieve (UK)
Medicinal Herb Info (USA)
The Magi's Garden (UNK)
'Online Guide To Umbelliferae Of British Isles' Compiled by J.M.Burton 2002
