Torilis japonica, the erect hedgeparsley,[1] upright hedge-parsley[2] or Japanese hedge parsley, is a herbaceous flowering plant species in the celery family Apiaceae.

Japanese hedge parsley is typically found in areas with disturbed soils, pastures, margins, open woodland, near waste sites, or right-of-way habitats.

[5] It is considered an aggressive invasive species in North America; invading a wide range of habitats due to its environmental tolerance and tendency to outcompete native vegetation.

[3] The leaves of Japanese hedge parsley are fern-like, alternate, divided pinnately, and have very slim stems that support each leaf.

[3] In Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) found that this plant tends to establish itself along roadsides, edge habitats, or open areas and then spread to grasslands, prairies, savannahs, and forests.

[4] Mowing of the initially-established habitats encourage population density growth when brown fruits are present, which could be the reason for its initial ability to spread over a short period of time.

[8] To date, there are no documented studies on Japanese hedge parsley's effect on native vegetation communities in relation to the possible response to climate change [6] or eutrophication.

[5] Prescribed burns are another non-chemical control method that the Wisconsin DNR suggests when treating Japanese hedge parsley.

[9] As a means of chemical control, glyphosate should be applied to Japanese hedge parsley vegetation during its first year of growth in the fall or spring.

[5] Lastly, the DNR mentions Triclopyr, a common herbicide used on woody and herbaceous weeds,[9] as a means of chemical treatment to rosettes in the spring or fall, but may result in contamination of groundwater if not used properly and is only 50-70% effective the season after the control methods.

[3] This identifies the species as established in the state and posing a huge threat to human and environmental health and transporting, possessing, or introducing without a permit is regulated.

[6] A substance known as torilin can be extracted from the plant and has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.