Laserpitium

Laserpitium 

a genus of plants of the family Umbelliferae. They are perennial and, rarely, biennial herbs with twice-pinnate, thrice-pinnate, and ternate leaves. The denticles of the calyx are ovate or subulate. The petals, which are white, pink, or yellowish, are obcordate and have corollas that curve inward. The fruits are elliptic or elongated, with winglike ribs. There are approximately 20 species (according to other data, up to 35), distributed from the Canary Islands to Iran and Siberia. Most species are found predominantly in the Mediterranean region. In the USSR there are five or six species, the most widespread being Laserpitium latifolium and L. pruthenicum, which grow in forests, thickets, and felled forests. The species L. hispidum, which is found along mountain slopes and in forests in the southern part of the European USSR and in the Caucasus, is cultivated for the essential oil in its fruit. The essential oil contains up to 64 percent geraniol, which is used in the perfume and food industries.