Polytaenia nuttallii (Prairie Parsley) at a private prairie on 4-19-26, #1089-50.

Prairie Parsley, Nuttall’s Prairie Parsley

Polytaenia nuttallii

pol-ee-TEE-nee-a  nut-AL-ee-eye

Synonyms of Polytaenia nuttallii (9) (Updated on 8-10-26 from Plants of the World Online): Ferula drummondii Hook. & Arn. (1836), Pachiloma nuttallii (DC.) Raf. (1838), Pachiloma verticillata Raf. (1838), Phaiosperma pulverulenta Raf. (1838), Phaiosperma trifida Raf. (1838), Pleiotaenia nuttallii (DC.) J.M.Coult. & Rose (1909), Polytaenia nuttallii var. laevis Torr. & A.Gray (1840), Tordylium americanum Nutt. ex DC. (1830) (not validly publ.), Zosima nuttallii (DC.) D.Dietr. (1840)

Polytaenia nuttallii DC is the accepted scientific name for this species of Polytaenia. The genus and species were both named and described as such by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in Collection de Mémoires in 1829.

As of 8-10-26 when this page was first published, Plants of the World Online lists only 3 species in the Polytaenia genus. It is a member of the plant family Apiaceae with 456 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

Distribution map of Polytaenia nuttallii from Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/. Retrieved on August 10, 2026.

The above distribution map for Polytaenia nuttallii is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and red where they have it listed as extinct… The map on the USDA Plants Database is somewhat different. No map is perfect, but they do give a general idea.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my observations on iNaturalist.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

Polytaenia nuttallii (Prairie Parsley) at a private prairie on 4-19-26, #1089-51.

Until May 4 in 2025, I had been identifying wildflowers on the family farm, a friends farm and woods, along back roads and highways, etc. Then, on May 4 in 2025, a friend invited me to visit a private native prairie. It was incredible and I photographed 11 new to me species! We went back again on 4-19-26. I took friends on May 3, and there wasn’t much to see then. Then, on June 8 in 2026, he took me to the Lordi Marker Prairie then to Drover’s Prairie where I photographed 19 species, 10 new to me. On 6-22-26, I took my son, and we went to the Friendly Prairie for the first time, then on to the Lordi Marker and Drover’s Prairie. I photographed 22 species at the Friendly Prairie, 6 species at Lordi Marker Prairie, and 17 species at Drover’s Prairie. 11 more new to me. I went back to the Friendly and Drover’s Prairies on July 28 and photographed 12 species with 2 being new-to-me. 

Polytaenia nuttallii (Prairie Parsley) at a private prairie on 4-19-26, #1089-52.

I found this species while visiting the private prairie on April 19 in 2026. There were just a few plants in one area where I found them and they were taller than the other plants in the prairie at the time. I took several photos and saved 4 of the best. I uploaded the first one on the drag-and-drop feature on iNaturalist (you have to log in) and their first suggestion was Polytaenia nuttallii. I checked out that species in the Missouri Plants website and found iNaturalist was correct again.

Polytaenia nuttallii (Prairie Parsley) at a private prairie on 4-19-26, #1089-53.

I will come back at some point and write descriptions, I just wanted to get the photos online for now. There are several links at the bottom of the page with a lot of useful information and great descriptions.

I will continue going back to the three prairies and possibly other locations to take more photos and see what else I can find. Hopefully, I will fun across the Polytaenia nuttallii again. I need more photos…

I live on the family farm in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and they have provided much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
FLORIDA WILDFLOWER FOUNDATION
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
SEINet

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂