Greek melanos — black, Selinum, classical name.
Biennial or monocarpic perennial herbs with thick stems. Leaves divided 2-3 times. Petals white to lilac. Fruit oblong-ovate, flattened, hairy, more or less black, ridges with toothed and narrow wings.
Grown mostly for the bold foliage.
Seed.
Superficially similar to Angelica but with flat-topped flower heads.
4 species from Macaronesia.
Source: (2002). Apiaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
