Carrot family

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This is a large group of plants with small flowers arranged in umbrella-shaped heads, hence the alternative family name: umbellifers. Most have white or yellow flowers that are very attractive to insects. Hogweed and cow parsley are the commonest and can be found on most areas of unmanaged grassland in Essex.

Wild angelica is similar to hogweed in size and appearance, but restricted to damp meadows. Wild carrot, the head of the family as it were, grows in rough grassland especially near the sea.

Less widespread are pignut, which can grow in very large numbers but only in long-established grassland, and upright hedge-parsley, which grows beside hedges.

Hogs fennel and sea holly are coastal plants, the latter looking very different from other members of the family.