Apiaceae
Aromatic flowering plant family including carrot, celery, and parsley.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Apiaceae, also known as Umbelliferae, is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus *Apium*. It is commonly referred to as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. Ranking as the 16th-largest family of flowering plants, it contains over 3,800 species spread across roughly 446 genera. Among these are many well-known and economically important plants, including 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 remains uncertain and which may already be extinct. The family also includes a notable number of phototoxic species, such as giant hogweed and parsnip, along with a smaller group of deadly toxic paralytic species, including poison hemlock, water hemlock, spotted cowbane, fool's parsley, and various species of water dropwort.
Most Apiaceae are annual, biennial, or perennial herbs, often with leaves clustered near the base; a few are woody shrubs or small trees, like *Bupleurum fruticosum*. Their leaves vary in size and are arranged alternately, though upper leaves may become nearly opposite. Leaves can be petiolate or sessile, lack stipules, and often have sheathing petioles; some are perfoliate. The leaf blade is usually dissected, ternate, or pinnatifid, but in some genera, such as *Bupleurum*, it is simple and entire. When crushed, the leaves commonly emit a strong smell, ranging from aromatic to fetid, though some species have no noticeable scent.
The family’s defining feature is its inflorescence: flowers are almost always gathered in terminal umbels, which may be simple or, more commonly, compound—often taking the form of umbelliform cymes. Flowers are usually perfect (hermaphroditic) and actinomorphic, but zygomorphic flowers can appear at the edge of the umbel, as seen in carrot (*Daucus carota*) and coriander, where the outer petals are larger than the inner ones. Some species are andromonoecious, polygamomonoecious, or even dioecious (as in *Acronema*). A distinct calyx and corolla are present, but the calyx is often highly reduced—sometimes undetectable—while the corolla may be white, yellow, pink, or purple. Flowers are nearly perfectly pentamerous, with five petals and five stamens.
Within a single inflorescence, the functionality of
- field
- Botany
- known_for
- Economically important aromatic plants, umbel inflorescence, phototoxic and toxic species
- number_of_species
- More than 3,800
- number_of_genera
- About 446 (accepted varies; PoWO 444, GRIN 462)
- type_genus
- Apium
Lore & Background
The defining characteristic of Apiaceae is the inflorescence, with flowers nearly always aggregated in terminal umbels that may be simple or more commonly compound. The flowers are usually perfect and actinomorphic, but may have zygomorphic flowers at the edge of the umbel, as in carrot and coriander. The gynoecium consists of two carpels fused into a single bicarpellate pistil with an inferior ovary, and the fruit is a schizocarp that separates into two mericarps, each containing a single seed. The seeds have an oily endosperm and often contain essential oils responsible for the flavor of commercially important umbelliferous seeds such as anise, cumin, and coriander.
Reader's Guide
Apiaceae was first described by John Lindley in 1836, with the name derived from the type genus Apium used by Pliny the Elder circa 50 AD. The family was one of the first to be recognized as a distinct group in Jacques Daleschamps' 1586 Historia generalis plantarum, and with Robert Morison's 1672 Plantarum umbelliferarum distribution nova it became the first group of plants for which a systematic study was published. The family is solidly placed within the Apiales order in the APG III system and is closely related to Araliaceae, though boundaries between these families remain unclear. Molecular phylogenetic analyses from the mid-1990s onwards have shown that fruit characters evolved in parallel many times, leading to a proposed division into four subfamilies: Apioideae, Azorelloideae, Mackinlayoideae, and Saniculoideae. The earliest fossils of the group, represented by pollen, date to the Eocene epoch, though the family itself is estimated to have originated during the Late Cretaceous, likely in Australasia.
Did You Know?
- The family includes silphium, a plant whose exact identity is unclear and which may be extinct.
- The black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes, uses the family Apiaceae for food and host plants for oviposition.
- The 22-spot ladybird is commonly found eating mildew on Apiaceae plants.
- Daucus carota has been used as coloring for butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Apiaceae?
Apiaceae (also called Umbelliferae) is a large family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after its type genus Apium. It is the botanical home of everyday kitchen staples like carrot, celery, and parsley, and it ranks as the 16th-largest family among all flowering plants.
What are Apiaceae's signature powers?
Its hallmark trait is the umbel inflorescence—a flat-topped cluster of tiny flowers that gives the family its common nickname, the umbellifers. Members also produce volatile aromatic oils, which is why so many of them double as herbs, spices, and traditional medicines.
Why is Apiaceae so important to the story?
With more than 3,800 species spread across roughly 446 genera, the family supplies a huge share of the world's culinary herbs and spices, from dill and cumin to fennel and coriander. It also includes historically notable plants like silphium, a now-extinct species once prized throughout the ancient Mediterranean.
What is Apiaceae's dark side?
The same aromatic compounds that make its members flavorful can turn dangerous; several species contain furanocoumarins that trigger severe phototoxic skin reactions when combined with sunlight. A few, such as water hemlock, produce potent neurotoxins that can be fatal if ingested.
How does Apiaceae's story end?
As a family, Apiaceae is very much still in circulation, with new species and genus combinations still being described by botanists today. Its long evolutionary run, stretching from the Cretaceous to the present, means it continues to shape both wild ecosystems and human agriculture.
More in Flowering Plant Families 1-21
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