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Angelica

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Angelica
Wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Subfamily: Apioideae
Tribe: Selineae
Genus: Angelica
L.
Species

About 90 species; see text.

Synonyms[1]
  • Agathorhiza Raf.
  • Angelocarpa Rupr.
  • Angelophyllum Rupr.
  • Archangelica Wolf
  • Callisace Fisch. ex Hoffm.
  • Coelopleurum Ledeb.
  • Czernaevia Turcz. ex Ledeb.
  • Gomphopetalum Turcz.
  • Halosciastrum Koidz.
  • Homopteryx Kitag.
  • Physolophium Turcz.
  • Porphyroscias Miq.
  • Razulia Raf.
  • Rompelia Koso-Pol.
  • Sphenosciadium A.Gray
Wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris) from Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885

Angelica is a genus of about 90 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as Iceland, Sápmi, and Greenland.[2] They grow to 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, with large bipinnate leaves and large compound umbels of white or greenish-white flowers. It shows variations in fruit anatomy, leaf morphology, and subterranean structures. The genes are extremely polymorphic.

Some species can be found in purple moor and rush pastures.

Purple-stemmed Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea) found near Winona, MN, USA. The plant is seen here where it was growing near a creek.

Characteristics

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Angelica species grow to 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, with large bipinnate leaves and large compound umbels of white or greenish-white flowers. Their large, sparkling, starburst flowers[3] are pollinated by a great variety of insects (the generalist pollination syndrome),[4] the floral scents are species-specific, and even specific to particular subspecies.[5] The active ingredients of angelica are found in the roots and rhizomes[6] and contains furocoumarins in its tissues, which make the skin sensitive to light.[7]

Cladistic classification

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Molecular phylogenetic analyses have identified four major clades:[8]

Archangelica clade
which includes the type species Angelica archangelica and North American species such as A. atropurpurea.
Eurasian Angelica clade
containing primarily Eurasian species and the Pacific Coast species A. genuflexa.
North American Angelica clade
comprising approximately twenty species native to North America, including A. arguta and A. californica. North American species traditionally assigned to Angelica do not form a single evolutionary lineage, are polyphyletic and require taxonomic revision.
PENA clade
acronym for the genera Perideridia, Eulophus, Neoparrya, and Angelica, and represented by A. dawsonii, which was found to be more closely related to other genera within the Apiaceae.

Species

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List of species accepted by Plants of the World Online as of September 2025:[1]

Cultivation and uses

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Some species are grown as flavouring agents or for their medicinal properties.[12] The most notable of these is garden angelica (A. archangelica), which is commonly known simply as angelica. Crystallized strips of young angelica stems and midribs are green in colour and are sold as decorative and flavoursome cake decoration material, but may also be enjoyed on their own.[13] The roots and seeds are commonly used to flavour gin. Its presence accounts for the distinct flavour of many liqueurs, such as Chartreuse. Angelica roots are used in perfumery as a plant analogue of musk.[14]

Seacoast angelica (A. lucida) has been eaten as a wild version of celery.

A. sylvestris and some other species are eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including bordered pug, grey pug, lime-speck pug and the V-pug.

Asia

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The radix of Angelica dahurica is widely used as an herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine and is known as bai zhi.[15][16] In Korean medicine, its name is baek-ji.[15]

In parts of Japan, especially the Izu Islands, the shoots and leaves of ashitaba (A. keiskei) are eaten as tempura, particularly in the spring.

Europe

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Natives of Sápmi use the fleshy roots as food and the stalks as medicine. Among the Sami people of Lapland, the plant is used to make a traditional musical instrument the fadno.

North America

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A. dawsonii was used by several first nations in North America for ritual purposes.[17]

A. atropurpurea is found in North America from Newfoundland west to Wisconsin and south to Maryland, and was smoked by Missouri tribes for colds and respiratory ailments.[citation needed] This species is very similar in appearance to the poisonous water hemlock.

A. lucida root was regarded as preventive medicine by the Aleut of St. Lawrence Island, whom consumed small pieces of the root daily to treat illness and malaise.[18]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Accepted by PoWO, but considered a synonym of Angelica major by GBIF.[9]

References

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  1. 1 2 "Angelica L." powo.science.kew.org. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  2. ↑ Johannes Gröntved. "Kvanen -. Dens Udbredelse Og Anvendelse" (PDF).
  3. ↑ "Angelica grayi (Angelica)". Southern Colorado Wildflowers. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  4. ↑ Van Der Kooi, C. J.; Pen, I.; Staal, M.; Stavenga, D. G.; Elzenga, J. T. M. (2015). "Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers". Plant Biology. 18 (1): 56–62. doi:10.1111/plb.12328. hdl:11370/caee8d0d-9724-4056-9d45-93162a5a7afc. PMID 25754608.
  5. ↑ Tollsten, L.; Knudsen, J. T.; Bergström, L. G. (1994). "Floral Scent in Generalistic Angelica (Apiaceae) — An Adaptive Character?". Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 22 (2): 161–169. Bibcode:1994BioSE..22..161T. doi:10.1016/0305-1978(94)90006-X.
  6. ↑ "Comprehensive Guide to Angelica Species". Meschino Health. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "Angelica - A Plant of the Family Apiaceae". Scienceray. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  8. ↑ Liao, Chen-Yang; Gao, Qing; Katz-Downie, Deborah S.; Downie, Stephen R. (July 2022). "A systematic study of North American Angelica species (Apiaceae) based on nrDNA ITS and cpDNA sequences and fruit morphology". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 60 (4): 789–808. doi:10.1111/jse.12702.
  9. ↑ Angelica at Global Biodiversity Information Facility
  10. ↑ Acta botanica Gallica 144: 186 (1997)
  11. 1 2 English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 354. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016 – via Korea Forest Service forest.go.kr.
  12. ↑ "Spices and Herbs". fs.fed.us. US: United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  13. ↑ Grieve, M. (Maud) (1920). Culinary Herbs: How to Grow and Where to Sell, with an Account of Their Uses and History (PDF). British Guild of Herb Growers. Retrieved 5 June 2026 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  14. ↑ "Применение мускуса, а также его аналоги - синтетические и растительные". analogimuskusa.ru. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  15. 1 2 Batiha GE, Shaheen HM, Elhawary EA, et al. (28 December 2022). "Phytochemical Constituents, Folk Medicinal Uses, and Biological Activities of Genus Angelica: A Review". Molecules. 28 (1): 267. doi:10.3390/molecules28010267. PMC 9822461. PMID 36615460.
  16. ↑ Yi Jin; Cheng Qu; Yuping Tang; et al. (2016). "Herb pairs containing Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui): A review of bio-active constituents and compatibility effects". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 181: 158–171. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.01.033. ISSN 0378-8741. PMID 26807913. Retrieved 2 January 2025 – via science direct.com.
  17. ↑ Guédon, Marie-Françoise (2000). "Sacred Smokes in Circumboreal Countries: An Ethnobotanical Exploration". The Northern Review (22): 29–42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Smith, G. Warren (1973). "Arctic Pharmacognosia". Arctic. 26 (4): 324–333. doi:10.14430/arctic2931.
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