ground elder

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• bishop's goutweed
• goutweed
• ground elder
• Bishopweed
• Ground-Elder
• ashweed
• bishop's-weed
• herb-Gerard
• English Masterwort
• Herb Gerard
• Snow on the Mountain
• Wild Masterwort

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Apium podagraria
• Carum podagraria
• Aegopodium podagraria var. pubescens
• Aegopodium podagraria var. prolifera
• Aegopodium simplex
• Selinum podagraria
• Seseli aegopodium
• Sison podagraria
• Sium vulgare
• Sium podagraria
• Tragoselinum angelica
• Ligusticum podagraria
• Aegopodium angelicifolium
• Aegopodium podagraria var. variegatum
• Podagraria aegopodium
• Podagraria erratica
• Pimpinella angelicifolia

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Apiales. Finally, it is a member of the family Apiaceae and the genus Aegopodium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern concentrated primarily within the northern regions of Europe. Its presence is documented across several key territories, including Denmark and Finland. The species also extends to the island nations of Iceland and the Faroe Islands (Føroyaar). Furthermore, its geographical reach includes the territory of Great Britain. Together, these locations define the northern European range of Aegopodium podagraria.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Aegopodium podagraria is characterized by its preference for disturbed and transitional environments, commonly inhabiting cut-over forests, dense forests, roadsides, and various shrubberies. It thrives in these settings, often colonizing areas where the canopy has been opened or where edge effects create a mix of light and shade. By establishing itself in these diverse landscapes—ranging from the shaded understory of woodland to the more exposed and nutrient-variable conditions of roadside vegetation and shrub thickets—the species demonstrates a robust ability to adapt to varying levels of sunlight and soil moisture typical of forest margins and anthropogenic disturbances.

Habitat :

cut-over forest, forest, roadsides, shrubberies

Life history

The life history of Aegopodium podagraria is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, ensuring its persistence across multiple growing seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, its perennating buds are located at the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or accumulated organic matter during unfavorable periods. This species also functions as a geophyte, utilizing underground structures to survive and regenerate. Its growth pattern is strictly deciduous, meaning it sheds its foliage annually in response to seasonal changes, entering a period of dormancy before emerging again in the subsequent spring.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Aegopodium podagraria is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. This species is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber or a liana, maintaining an independent lifestyle as it is neither a parasite nor an epiphyte. It is a terrestrial plant, typically found in soil-based habitats rather than aquatic or semiaquatic environments. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits a variable height, with individual specimens generally reaching a minimum of 0.5 m, an average height of approximately 0.479 m, and a maximum height of up to 1 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height mean:

0.479 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Aegopodium podagraria is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic strategy typical of many temperate herbaceous plants that facilitates carbon fixation under moderate light and temperature conditions. As a non-carnivorous species, it relies entirely on its root system and soil nutrients for mineral uptake rather than supplemental nutrient acquisition from prey. The plant exhibits specific leaf architecture, with a mean leaf size of approximately 135.00242 cm² and an average leaf length reaching up to 5.5 cm. Furthermore, its Specific Leaf Area (SLA) averages 287.97 cm²/g, a physiological metric that reflects the plant's resource allocation strategy regarding leaf thickness and density in relation to its photosynthetic surface area.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

5.5 cm

Leaf size mean:

135.00242 cm²

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

287.97 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Aegopodium podagraria is driven by sexual processes, as asexual reproduction is notably absent. The flowering period typically commences in June and extends through July. The plant relies on biotic pollination syndromes, specifically utilizing insects, with bees identified as a primary pollinator. Self-fertilization is absent in this species, necessitating cross-pollination. Following fertilization, the plant produces fruits with a mean length of 0.4 cm. The resulting seeds are quite small, with a mean mass of approximately 0.00188225 g, ranging from a minimum of 0.001531 g to a maximum of 0.00273 g. Dispersal is characterized by an autochorous syndrome, meaning the seeds are dispersed through mechanisms inherent to the plant itself.

Dispersal syndrome :

autochorous

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit length mean:

0.4 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

0.00273 g

Seed mass mean:

0.00188225 g

Seed mass min:

0.001531 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Aegopodium podagraria has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 210Pb, 210Po.

210Pb

1. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)

210Po

1. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)

Activities

Aegopodium podagraria has 6 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant, Antirheumatic, Diuretic.

Antibacterial

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antifungal

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antirheumatic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Diuretic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Sedative

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Aegopodium podagraria has 3 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include rheumatism, sciatica, skin aging.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations