Wild carrot |
Inflorescence,
infructescence, upper stem leaf and fruit of the
wild carrot
| Daucus carota ssp. carota L.: | |
| Blooming period: | May–September |
| Height: | 15–210 cm |
| Flowers: | Ø approx. 2 mm, bisexual, stamens: 5, styles: 2 |
| Petals: | 5, mostly white, the marginal ones enlarged |
| Calyx teeth: | 5, small |
| Stem leaves: | alternate, 2- to 3-fold pinnate |
| Basal leaves: | 1- to 3-fold pinnate |
Biennial plant, herbaceous, with long, thin, whitish taproot.
Stem erect, solid, almost glabrous up densely hispid, furrowed to angular, striped, often branched in the upper part. Below the nodes not thickened.
Basal leaves stalked, oblong in outline, 1- to 3-fold pinnate, petiole shorter than the leaf blade.
Stem leaves alternate, stalked or almost sessile, triangular in outline, petioles with a striped sheath amplexicaul, leaves hirsute, leaflets 2- to 3-fold pinnatipartite.
Inflorescence: double umbel; umbel with 30 to 60 rays, flat or concave, the outer rays longer, at fruiting time umbel inflected like a nest. Bracts 7–14, 1- to 2-fold pinnate, up to 50 mm long, with 1–4 linear tips, usually ciliated.
Raylet leaves (involucel) 7–10, simple or three-part with linear lobes. Umbellules mostly with 20 rarely up to 50 flowers.
The marginal petals are enlarged. Petals white, yellowish or rarely pink, notched to half or almost to the half.
In the middle of the umbel there is a sterile, black violet or red flower, rarely more.
The two styles are 0.5–1.5 mm long and directed outwards. They arise from a 0.3–0.5 mm high stylopodium.
From the inferior ovary consisting of 2 carpels, developed a 2-part schizocarp.
Fruits 2–3 mm long, ovate, brown, with 14 ribs, single fruit with 4 winged ribs with white spines, between them 3 flat ribs with short bristles.
Apart from Daucus carota ssp. carota in Germany occurs the domesticated carrot (Daucus carota ssp. sativus). It can be recognized by the fleshy, thickened, usually yellow taproot.
| Floral formula: |
| * K5 C5 A5 G(2) inferior |
Occurrence:
Path,
road and forest edges, meadows, gardens, wastelands. Prefers warm and
fairly nitrogenous locations.
Distribution:
Originally
Europe and north-west Asia, now spread across every continent.