description
Daucus carota is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae.
Wild carrot as it is commonly called is a biennial
plant. It will grow a rosette of leaves in the spring and summer, while also
building up the stout taproot that stores the large amounts of sugars that will allow the
plant to flower in its second year.
The first or primary umbel is produced at the
end of the main floral stem; while smaller secondary umbels sprout from the main
branch, and then will branch into third, fourth, and even later-flowering umbels.
The large primary umbel can contain up to 50 umbellets. Each of these umbellets may have
up to 50 flowers; however the subsequent umbels will have fewer flowers. Flowers are
small and white in color, on occasion they will have a light green or yellow tint. They have
five petals, five stamens, and an entire calyx.
The fruit that the plant develops
is a schizocarp consisting of two mericarps; each mericarp is an achene or
true seed. Domesticated carrots familiar to gardens everywhere are cultivars of a subspecies, Daucus
carota subsp. sativus.
common names & nomenclature
The multitude of tiny white flowers together appear lace-like and have given rise to the common name Queen Anne’s Lace.
Also known as:
wild carrot, queen anne's lace, bishop’s lace, birds nest weed
