Family Apiaceae

Family: Apiaceae

Conserved name: Umbelliferae

Popular name: the Carrot Family

Taxonomic Position (According to Cronquist)

 Kingdom              : Plantae

Division                : Magnoliophyta

Class                     : Magnoliopsida

Subclass                : Rosidae

Order                    :Apiales

Family                  : Apiaceae

Identifying Characters of the Family

1. Herbaceous habit
2. Presence of decompound leaf
3. Aromatic herbs with hollow stems
4. Leaves compound with sheathing base
5. Inflorescence simple or compound umbell
6. Fruit schizocarp or mericarp

Origin and Distribution

This is the biggest family of angiosperm, containing one-tenth of the total number of flowering plants. The family comprises over 800 genera and about 14,000 species.

Table 1. Economic Important Plants of this Family