''Daucus carota'', whose common names include wild carrot, European wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace (North America), is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plan ...

. It is native to

temperate regions In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

of the Old World and was naturalized in the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

. Domesticated carrots are

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s of a subspecies, ''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus''.

Description

Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) flower umbell down view

The wild carrot is a herbaceous, somewhat variable biennial plant that grows between tall, and is roughly hairy, with a stiff, solid stem. The leaves are

tripinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

, finely divided and lacy, and overall triangular in shape. The leaves are long, bristly and alternate in a

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

pattern that separates into thin segments. The flowers are small and dull white, clustered in flat, dense

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s. The umbels are terminal and about wide. They may be pink in bud and may have a reddish or purple flower in the centre of the umbel. The lower

bracts In botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the An ...

are three-forked or pinnate, which distinguishes the plant from other white-flowered

umbellifers Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants ...

. As the seeds develop, the umbel curls up at the edges, becomes more congested, and develops a concave surface. The fruits are small, dry, bumpy, oval and flattened, with short styles and hooked spines, as well as protective hairs surrounding it. The fruit has two mericarps, or bicarpellate. The endosperm of the fruit grows before the embryo. The dried umbels detach from the plant, becoming

tumbleweed A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. It is a diaspore that, once mature and dry, detaches from its root or stem and rolls due to the force of the wind. In most such species, the tumbl ...

s. The function of the tiny red flower, coloured by anthocyanin, is to attract insects. The flowers bloom from May to September. Similar in appearance to the deadly

poison hemlock ''Conium maculatum'', colloquially known as hemlock, poison hemlock or wild hemlock, is a highly poisonous biennial herbaceous flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, native to Europe and North Africa. A hardy plant capable of living in ...

, ''D.carota'' is distinguished by a mix of

leaves, fine hairs on its solid green stems and on its leaves, a root that smells like carrots, and occasionally a single dark red flower in the center of the umbel. Hemlock is also different in tending to have purple mottling on its stems, which also lack the hairiness of the plain green Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot) stems. Both plants have been spread into North America by European settlers and are now common wildflowers there.

Function of the dark central florets

The function of the central dark florets of ''D. carota'' has been subject to debate since

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

speculated that they are a vestigial trait. It has been suggested that they have the adaptive function of mimicking insects, thus either discouraging herbivory, or attracting pollinators by indicating the presence of food or opportunities for mating. One study in Portugal found that the dark florets contributed to visitation by the varied carpet beetle, ''

Anthrenus verbasci The varied carpet beetle (''Anthrenus verbasci'') is a 3 mm-long beetle belonging to the family Dermestidae. They are a common species, often considered a pest of domestic houses and, particularly, natural history museums, where the larvae m ...

'', and that higher numbers of dark florets correlated with increased visitation, whereas inflorescences without dark florets had fewer visits. Replacing the dark florets with one or more freeze-killed ''A. verbasci,'' who are similar to the florets in size and shape produced similar results to those observations of inflorescences with intact florets.

Taxonomy

The carrot was first officially described by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...

in his 1753 work '' Species Plantarum''. In 2016, an international team sequenced the full genome of ''Daucus carota''.

Subspecies

Cultivated carrot's only parent is ''Daucus carota''. Both domestic and wild carrot are from the same species, ''Daucus carota'' L. There are several subspecies of ''D. carota'' that have evolved to different

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...

s and atmospheres. Two examples of these subspecies are specifically from the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. ''D. carota'' subsp. ''sativus'' has roots that can be a wide range of colors. It has a thicker root and sweeter taste. The whorl of barbs above the spine on the vallecular ridges of the

mericarp A schizocarp is a dry fruit that, when mature, splits up into mericarps. There are different definitions: * Any dry fruit composed of multiple carpels that separate. : Under this definition the mericarps can contain one or more seeds (the m ...

of ''D. carota'' subsp. ''sativus'' mature very well. ''D. carota'' subsp. ''carota'' has white roots that do not vary in color and, unlike ''D. carota'' subsp. ''sativus'', has a thin root, bitter taste and are not edible. The middle umbellet of ''D. carota'' subsp. ''carota'' is not well developed (unlike in ''D. carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') and the color of the flower can vary from red to deep purple.

Subtaxa

The following subtaxa are accepted: *''Daucus carota'' var. ''abyssinicus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''annuus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''azoricus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''cantabricus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''capillifolius'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''caporientalis'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''carota'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''commutatus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''corsoccidentalis'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''drepanensis'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''fontanesii'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''gadecaei'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''gummifer'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''halophilus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''hispanicus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''major'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''majoricus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''maritimus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''maximus'' *''Daucus carota'' var. ''meriensis'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''otaportensis'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''rupestris'' * ''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''tenuissimus'' *''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''valeriae''

Distribution and habitat

Native to

of Europe and

southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

, the plant was spread to North America and Australia. The plant is commonly found along roadsides and in unused fields. It thrives best in sun to partial shade.

Toxicity

Skin contact with the foliage of ''Daucus carota'', especially wet foliage, can cause

skin irritation Irritation, in biology and physiology, is a state of inflammation or painful reaction to allergy or cell-lining damage. A stimulus or agent which induces the state of irritation is an irritant. Irritants are typically thought of as chemical age ...

in some people. It may also have a mild effect on horses. The compound

falcarinol Falcarinol (also known as carotatoxin or panaxynol) is a natural pesticide and fatty alcohol found in carrots ('' Daucus carota''), red ginseng (''Panax ginseng'') and ivy. In carrots, it occurs in a concentration of approximately 2 mg/kg. ...

is naturally found in ''Daucus carota'' for protection against fungal diseases. Lab tests show the compound to be toxic to mice and the water flea ''

Daphnia magna ''Daphnia magna'' is a small planktonic crustacean (adult length 1.5–5.0 mm) that belongs to the subclass Phyllopoda. Description ''D. magna'' is a typical water flea of the genus ''Daphnia''. The females reach up to 5 mm in size, ...

.'' Normal consumption of carrots has no toxic effect in humans.

Uses

Like the cultivated carrot, the ''D. carota'' root is edible while young, but it quickly becomes too woody to consume. The flowers are sometimes battered and fried. The leaves and seeds are also edible. ''D. carota'' bears a close resemblance to poison hemlock, and the leaves of the wild carrot may cause

phytophotodermatitis Phytophotodermatitis, also known as berloque dermatitis or margarita photodermatitis, is a cutaneous phototoxic inflammatory reaction resulting from contact with a light-sensitizing botanical agent followed by exposure to ultraviolet light (from ...

, so caution should also be used when handling the plant. The seeds and flowers have been used as a method of

contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

and an abortifacient for centuries. If used as a

dyestuff A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...

, the flowers give a creamy, off-white color. ''D. carota'', when freshly cut, will draw or change color depending on the color of the water in which it is held. This effect is only visible on the "head" or flower of the plant.

Carnation ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.Med ...

s also exhibit this effect. This occurrence is a popular science demonstration in grade school.

Beneficial weed

This

beneficial weed Beneficial may refer to: Organizations * Beneficial Corporation, a consumer finance company founded in 1914 that was ultimately bought by HSBC Corporation ** Beneficial Loan Society, the former name of Beneficial Corporation ** Beneficial Finance, ...

can be used as a

companion plant Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, and ...

to crops. Like most members of the umbellifer family, it attracts

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...

s to its small flowers in its native land; however, where it has been introduced, it attracts very few wasps. In northeast Wisconsin, when introduced with blueberries it did succeed in attracting butterflies and wasps. This species is also documented to boost

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

plant production when kept nearby, and it can provide a

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...

of cooler, moister air for

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, ...

, when

intercropped Intercropping is a multiple cropping practice that involves growing two or more crops in proximity. In other words, intercropping is the cultivation of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field. The most common goal of intercropping is ...

with it. However, the states of Iowa, Michigan, and Washington have listed it as a noxious weed, and it is considered a serious pest in pastures. It persists in the

soil seed bank The soil seed bank is the natural storage of seeds, often dormant, within the soil of most ecosystems. The study of soil seed banks started in 1859 when Charles Darwin observed the emergence of seedlings using soil samples from the bottom of a lak ...

for two to five years.

Taste

Several different factors can cause the root of a carrot to have abnormal metabolites (notably 6-methoxymellin) that can cause a bitter taste in the roots. For example, carrots have a bitterer taste when grown in the presence of

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

s. Also, ethylene can easily produce stress, causing a bitter taste.

Culture

''Daucus carota'' was introduced and naturalized in North America, where it is often known as Queen Anne's lace. Both

Anne, Queen of Great Britain Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 8 March 1702 until 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as ...

, and her great-grandmother,

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and Eng ...

, are taken to be the Queen Anne for whom the plant is named. It is so called because the flower resembles

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

, prominent in fine clothing of the day; the red flower in the center is said to represent a droplet of blood where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace.

History through artwork

The history of ''Daucus carota'' and its cultivation in different parts of the world can be traced back through historical texts and artwork. Paintings from the 16th and 17th century, for example, that are of maids in a market or farmers' most recent crops can provide information on carrots' history. Studying such paintings shows that yellow or red roots were cultivated in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

roots were cultivated in 17th century

References in poetry

Queen Anne's Lace Queen Anne's lace is a common name for a number of plants in the family Apiaceae. including: * ''Ammi majus'', native in the Nile River Valley * '' Anthriscus sylvestris'', a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant * '' Daucus carota'', ...

is the title and subject of a poem by

William Carlos Williams William Carlos Williams (September 17, 1883 – March 4, 1963) was an American poet, writer, and physician closely associated with modernism and imagism. In addition to his writing, Williams had a long career as a physician practicing both pedia ...

published in the 1921 collection titled '' Sour Grapes.''

References

External links

Connecticut Botanical Society
{{Authority control Daucus Medicinal plants of Asia Medicinal plants of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Tumbleweeds Abortifacients Flora of Malta