Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)

Revision as of 12:44, 24 September 2019 by Maintenance script (talk | contribs) (Imported from text file)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Daucus
Species: D. carota
Binomial name: Daucus carota
Common names: Wild carrot, Queen Anne's Lace, Bird's nest, Bishop's lace, Pink Queen Anne’s Lace

Daucus carota is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, southwest Asia. In New Zealand, it is found on roadsides and waste places. The domesticated carrots are cultivars of a subspecies, Daucus carota subsp. sativus. Daucus carota is a variable biennial plant, usually growing up to 1 m tall. 

The umbels are claret-coloured or pale pink before they open, then bright white and rounded when in full flower, measuring 3–7 cm wide with a festoon of bracts beneath. 
A solitary purple flower often occurs in the centre of the umbel. After flowering they turn to seed and contract and become concave like a bird's nest. The dried umbels can detach from the plant, becoming tumbleweeds. The fruit is egg-shaped with seven ribs and hooked spines which will attach to animal hair.
Daucus carota is very similar in appearance to the deadly poison hemlock but Daucus carota is distinguished by a mix of bi-pinnate and tri-pinnate leaves, fine hairs on its stems and leaves and a root which is a slightly thickened taproot that smells like carrots.

1-Daucus carota Wild carrot-002 3 .JPG

The flowering heads can be white or pink.Daucus carota Wild Carrot -002.JPG

Notice the solitary purple flower that often occurs in the centre of the umbel
Daucus carota wild carrot-2.JPG


1-Daucus carota Wild carrot-003.JPG

A pink coloured flower head.
Daucus carota Wild Carrot -005.JPG

A developing umbelDaucus carota Wild Carrot -003.JPG


The umbel is now called a birdnest.  
1-Daucus carota Wild carrot-002 2 .JPG

1-Queen Annes Lace Daucus carota -002.JPG

A pink umbel
Daucus carota Wild Carrot .JPG

The spiny fruit
1-Queen Annes Lace Daucus carota -001.JPG

Daucus carota Wild Carrot -001.JPG

Daucus carota Wild carrot-4.JPG 

Daucus carota (Wild Carrot).jpg

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/