Umbelliferae

Apiaceae (), also called Umbelliferae, is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genusApium, and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants, with more than 3,800 species in about 446 genera, including such well-known, and economically important plants as ajwain, angelica, anise, asafoetida, caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lovage, cow parsley, parsley, parsnip and sea holly, as well as silphium, a plant whose exact identity is unclear and which may be extinct. The family Apiaceae also includes a significant number of phototoxic species, such as giant hogweed and parsnip, alongside a smaller number of deadly toxic paralytic species, such as poison hemlock, water hemlock, spotted cowbane, fool's parsley, and various species of water dropwort. DescriptionMost Apiaceae are annual, biennial or perennialherbs, and frequently have their leaves aggregated toward the base; a minority are woody shrubs or small trees such as Bupleurum fruticosum. Their leaves are of variable size, and alternately arranged, or with the upper leaves becoming nearly oppos