The Cow Parsnip is a common plant which you find all over Britain in
summer and autumn.
It is one of a large family of plants which have from eight to twenty
stiff green spokes at the end of the stem. These spokes are all about
the same length, and they stand up like the ribs of an umbrella. In late
autumn, when the flowers are withered, the brown ribs still remain on
the plant.
Each green rib carries a flat bouquet of flowers. In the centre of this
bouquet there are green buds, and all round the buds is a ring of small
white flowers.
The stem of the plant is rough and hairy, and it is deeply grooved. The
inside is hollow, and when the winter comes, small insects creep into
these hollow stems for shelter.
The Cow Parsnip has large, rough leaves. These are covered with coarse
hairs, and they always look dusty and shabby. You will notice curious
green knobs which appear close to the stem.
These knobs are covered with a thin green sheath, and the flower-bud,
with all its spokes still closed, is inside.
This bud grows bigger and bigger until it bursts the sheath. Then the
flowers unfold, leaving the green covering still growing from the stem,
with a curious green leaf coming out of the end.