Angelica atropurpurea. By Arthur Haines. Copyright © 2017. New England Wild Flower Society. gobotany.newenglandwild.org (Accessed 8/2017).

Angelica atropurpurea is a perennial herb, taprooted, stout, stem solitary, hollow, to 2 m tall, 3 cm diameter at base, purplish or purple-blotched. 

Angelica atropurpurea. leaf base. By Arthur Haines. Copyright © 2017. New England Wild Flower Society. gobotany.newenglandwild.org (Accessed 8/2017).

Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, basal leaves 10-30 cm long, often twice compound, 5-7 leaflets about 4-10 cm long, egg-shaped to lanceolate, tip pointed, margin sharply toothed, small veins extend to tips of teeth, leaves progressively reduced upwards, petioles elongate, conspicuously veined, inflated, sheathing the stem, to 5 cm wide with prominent veins. 

Angelica atropurpurea flowers. 2012 © Peter M. Dziuk. Minnesota Wildflowers. minnesotawildflowers.info (Accessed 8/2017).

Flowers white to greenish, radially symmetrical, small, 5 parted, inflorescence  10-20 cm wide, of twice umbrella- shaped clusters (compound umbel) with 20-45 rays, secondary umbels densely flowered June- Aug. 

Fruit dry, 0.4-0.6 cm wide oblong to elliptic, 2-seeded, the seeds separating at maturity (schizocarp), sides broadly winged,  sharply ridged; July-Oct. 

Wetland status: OBL. 

Angelica atropurpurea, fruit. photo by Hugh Wilson. Texas A&M University. botany.csdt.tamu.edu (Accessed 8/2017).

Frequency in NYC: Very infrequent. 

Origin: Native. 

Habitat: Open marshes, wet edges. Apiaceae of open sites are eaten by larvae of the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes (Papilionidae); (Tallamy 2003; Pyle 1981).