 Like most plants of agricultural importance, several subspecies and varieties of "P. sativa" have been described, but these are mostly no longer recognized as independent taxa, but rather, morphological variations of the same taxon.In Eurasia, some authorities distinguish between cultivated and wild versions of parsnips by using subspecies "P. s." "sylvestris" for the latter, or even elevating it to species status as "Pastinaca sylvestris".In Europe, various subspecies have been named based on characteristics such as the hairiness of the leaves, the extent to which the stems are angled or rounded, and the size and shape of the terminal umbel.