APIACEAE The Carrot Family

 
 

The Apiaceae(Umbelliferae) are characterized by:

 

  • an herbaceous habit and hollow stems
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  • alternate, sheathing, and usually compound leaves
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  • an inflorescence consisting of a compound or simple umbel bearing many small perfect flowers
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  • sepals that are usually reduced or completely absent, and 5 distinct petals and stamens
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  • an inferior ovary, two distinct styles borne on an enlarged cushion-like structure called a stylopodium; 2 carpels and 2 locules
  • schizocarp fruit in which each mericarp is borne on a forked stalk called a carpophore

                                                                                       CLICK for a more detailed character description.

The carrot family is a medium-sized family of about 300 genera and 3000 species.  It is most common in temperate areas and is only rarely found in the tropics.  The family Apiaceae has many highly distinctive features and was one of the first families to be recognized as such by the early herbalists of the 16th century.

A number of commonly grown vegetables are in this family, including carrots (Daucus carota), celery (Apium graveolens), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), and parsnips (Pastinaca sativa).  The family is characterized by aromatic oil glands and a number of spices are umbellifers, such as anise (Pimpenella), caraway (Carum), coriander or cilantro (Coriandrum), cumin (Cuminum), dill (Anethum), fennel (Foeniculum), and lovage (Levisticum).  The very poinsonous plants poison hemlock (Conium) and water-hemlock (Cicuta) are also in this family.  A few are grown as ornamentals, most notably sea-holly (Eryngium) and gout-weed (Aegopodium).

 

 

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 Site created and maintained by Matthew Willmann and Melissa Luckow Cornell University, Ithaca, New York September 1998