SafePlants

Daucus pusillus: American Wild Carrot

Daucus pusillus, commonly known as American wild carrot or rattlesnake weed, is a fascinating member of the carrot family. Its Latin name, pusillus, means "little carrot" or "tiny."

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions that Daucus pusillus has finely dissected leaves, which could potentially be a concern if ingested by pets.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Daucus pusillus Michx.
• Common Names: American wild carrot, rattlesnake weed, southwestern carrot, rattlesnake carrot.
• Family: Apiaceae/Umbelliferae (Parsley Family)
• Genus: Daucus L.
• Synonyms: Daucus carota var. microphylla, Daucus microphyllus, D. scadiophylus
• Taxonomic Rank: Species

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to California and found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
• Also found in PR, Virgin Islands, VI, Navassa Island, NAV, Canada, CAN, Greenland, GL, Saint Pierre and Michelon, SPM.
• Grows in a variety of habitats, often in open, sunny spots.
• Occurs in old pastures, waste places, roadsides, meadows, and occasionally as a weed in gardens and flower borders, particularly in Ontario, Canada and Ohio, USA.

Ecological Role

• The text identifies wild carrot (likely referring to Daucus carota, but potentially relevant to D. pusillus given the frequent confusion between the two) as a serious weed in North America and Japan.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Daucus pusillus is a BIENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).
• American wild carrot is a simple to few-branched annual that grows to 2' tall.
• The stems are retrorsely-hispid.
• It flowers as early as March.
• It is hardy to zone (UK) 5 and is not frost tender.
• The seeds ripen from Aug to September.
• Has finely dissected leaves.
• Annual herb.
• White wildflowers, blooms in flat clusters; when flowers pass, pedicels turn upward.
• A few branching stems, mostly less than 30 cm.

Plant Interactions

• The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by flies and bees.

Quirky Facts

• One of the common names, "rattlesnake weed," suggests a historical association with treating snakebites, although the text does not explicitly confirm this usage.
• The American colonists used the cultivated variety taproots boiled in wine as a treat.

Further Information

• Detailed information is available from Dave's Garden, a community sharing tips and ideas for gardens.
• Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences, has detailed observations (ID: 8120 3181 4016 0049).
• UCI Ecological Preserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA, has records (3-31-10) by Joan Avise.