''Bunium bulbocastanum'' is a plant

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

in the family

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plan ...

. It was once used as a root vegetable in parts of western Europe, and has been called great pignut or earthnut.

Growth

The plant is native to western Europe. It reaches about tall and wide, bearing frilly leaves and hermaphroditic flowers; it is pollinated by insects and self-fertile. The small, rounded

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

is edible raw or cooked, and said to taste like sweet

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrel ...

s. The leaf can be used as an herb or garnish similar to parsley.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q252331 Apioideae Flora of Europe Edible Apiaceae Spices Root vegetables Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus