Shepherdsneedle

Venus’s Comb is a very common species from the plains to 2000 m during the spring season.

Plants up to 25 cm tall, pubescent or glabrescent, Leaves tripinnatisect; segments 1-4 mm long, linear; leaf bases sheathing; sheath margin ciliate or entire. Umbels terminal and lateral. Involucre of 1 linear bract or lacking. Rays 1-3, 1-2 (-4.) cm long. Involucel of several lanceolate, oval or ovate, ciliate bractlets, entire or incised at the apex. Fruit shortly pedicellate, 2.5-3.5 cm long; margin bristly; beak 2-3 times as long as the seed; style 1 mm long, twice as long as the stylopodium; furrows I-vittate; commissure 2-vittate; vittae minute. Inner seed face deeply sulcate.

Distribution: Europe, Asia, and in Australia, North and South America as an alien.