Apiaceae
The
Carrot/Parsley Family
by
Marilyn Johnson
The Apiaceae
family is commonly known as the carrot
family. It is comprised of aromatic herbs, shrubs, trees and lianas.
Examples of culinary herbs in this family are Anethum graveoleus
(dill), Coriandum sativum (coriander), Cuminum cyminum (cumin), Carun
carvi (caraway), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), and Petroselinum crispum
(parsely). Edible species are Daucus carota (carrots), Apium
graveolens
(celery) and Pastinaca sativa (parsnip). This family is
also famous for
some poisonous species. Alkaloids are found in such
individuals as
Cicuta maculatat (water hemlock) and Conium maculatum (poison hemlock).
In ancient Greece Socrates was required to drink poison hemlock
and was
thus executed.
http://www.rangenet.org/directory/christiec/plants/apiaceae/LIGR.jpg
The inflorescence is usually an umbel of small
flowers with five petals and five stamens. The leaves are
pinnately or
palmately compound and may appear to be like when growth first appears
in the spring. The flower color is yellow, white or pink.
There are 420 genera with approximately 2,850
species. Cholorplast DNA analysis is being used to
determine the
relationships within the subfamily. The molecular-based studies do not
support the existing system of classification of the subfamilies which
are based on morphological and fruiting structure.
Members of the apiaceae family can be found from the
tropics to the artic, in disturbed areas, cultivated, along dry
roadsides and in moist shadey woodlands.
The economic importance of carrots is
related to
the
volume consumed. The United States produces 600,000 tons of
carrots
per year. The states of Washington, California, Texas, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, and Michigan are the top producers in this 40 million
dollar
per year industry. Celery is produced on 378 farms at the rate of
approximately 2 billion pounds per year with a value of 280
million
dollars per year.
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