Sanicle

Sanicle, group of biennial and perennial weedy plants of the parsley family. About 40 species are found growing in thickets and open woods in temperate regions. Sanicle plants grow to 1.2 m (4 ft) high and have almost leafless stems. The yellow, purple, or greenish-white flowers appear in summer and are borne in flat-topped clusters. The globular fruits are bristled, which aids in their dispersal by animals. Purple sanicle grows at low elevations from Vancouver Island, Canada, to Baja California, Mexico. The white snakeroot, Ageratina altissima, is sometimes called white sanicle but is not related.

Scientific classification: Sanicles are classified in the genus Sanicula of the family Apiaceae (formerly Umbelliferae). Purple sanicle is classified as Sanicula bipinnatifida.