Signed, dated, and titled in pencil lower left: “18 aôut 1875 / Angelique sauvage au bord du chemin / E. Bléry”.

Wild angelica

A mass of blossom, often pink-tinged, at the top of tall stems makes wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris) easy to identify. It is also notable for the broad sheathing of the stalks on the upper leaves, which are much smaller than the lower leaves. The 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended angelica against “all epidemical diseases” and also as a candy, for which the stalks of the related garden angelica are still crystallized today.

Wild angelica can be found growing in wet woods, fens and damp meadows.