PIGNUT
Conopodium majus
Carrot Family [Apiaceae] 
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Carrot Family [Apiaceae]
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status
flower
inner
morph
petals
type
stem
stem
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| A shortish umbellifer to 40cm (up to 75cm) occupying woods, grassland, hedgerows and beside walls, often in fairly moist places. |
| 10th June 2009, Smardale, Yorkshire Dales. | Photo: © RWD |
| It doesn't grow this high, your Author was holding a specimen up out of the clutter of the grass but out of the wind. A slender and hairless perennial which arises from an edible tuber, which pigs will route out with vigour in order to eat it; they go mad for it (whatever 'it' is - but it wont be alcoholic). |
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| A leaf emerges from every stem branch. The stem leaves are long and needle-like. |
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Stem leaves are pinnate, this one 2-pinnate. A small hardly-inflated bract sheaths the emerging stem. Leaflets have short hardly-visible hairs only along the edges. |
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Lower stem leaves broader. The junction with the main stem has a small hardly-inflated bract. |
| 10th June 2009, Smardale, Yorkshire Dales. | Photo: © RWD |
| Showing just one umbel consisting of several umbellets. Bracteoles under each sub-umbel nay or may not be present, and quite often only one bracteole is present (central umbellet). |
| 10th June 2009, Smardale, Yorkshire Dales. | Photo: © RWD |
| Central sub-umbel and riper fruits. This umbellet has several narrow lanceolate bracteoles beneath it (three) and is surrounded by other umbellets. |
| 27th May 2017, Sedburgh, Yorkshire Dales. | Photo: © RWD |
| Showing a sub-umbel aka umbellet. |
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flowers slightly zygomorphic, smaller ones almost actinomorphic. |
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| With five white petals and a central double blob of pale-green that will become the fruit. Curled petals with a central fold and five white stamens with a white/cream anther on the ends. |
| 27th May 2017, Sedburgh, Yorkshire Dales. | Photo: © RWD |
| An umbellet turned to fruit. |
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| A sub-umbel turned to fruit with purple styles that are erect, and curve outwards slightly at the tip like circlip pliers. |
| 27th May 2017, Sedburgh, Yorkshire Dales. | Photo: © RWD |
| The two enlarged reddish styles on the stylopodium. The styles curve slightly apart and have paler oval bobbles atop. Some stypolpodia lack the styles (bottom left sector). |
| 6th June 2013, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| The fruits are double-barrelled and narrower end on with an elongated depression between. Some have the remains of the petals still attached just beneath the reddish stylopodium. |
| 27th May 2017, Sedburgh, Yorkshire Dales. | Photo: © RWD |
| The two enlarged reddish styles on the stylopodium. The styles curve slightly apart and have paler oval bobbles atop. Some stypolpodia lack the styles (bottom left sector). |
| 14th May 2010, Helsington, Kendal, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| In late Winter the basal leaves with broader (but still narrow) leaflets start to cover the ground. They wither away by the time the plant has flowered leaving only the needle-like stem leaves on the plant. |
| 2nd April 2014, Yarrow Valley Country Park, Chorley, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| One lower leaf with narrow leaflets. It is two to three pinnate, this leaf being tripinnate. The rachis (stalk) has a central groove down the upper surface. |
| 14th May 2010, Helsington, Kendal, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| The obverse of the leaf has a rounded rachis (stalk). |
| 27th May 2016, a garden, Cairngorms, Scotland | Photo: © Sarah Millson |
| This is the buried 'nut' which pigs go out of their way to dig out of the ground with their snout in order to consume the delicacy with great joy. It is buried quite deep, as can be seen by the white parts of the stem which never otherwise sees light of day. |
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Some similarities to :
Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature :
No relation to : White Pigweed (Amaranthus albus), The plant springs from a small roundish underground tuber which is edible, tasting hot and dry, but which is diuretic. It was popular in previous centuries, and is still sought after by pigs, who feverishly sniff them out and dig them up with their snouts to eat.
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 Conopodium
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majus
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⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Apiaceae
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 Conopodium (Pignut) |
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Carrot Family [Apiaceae]
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BSBI maps