Carrot Plant Information
The carrot is quite abundant in the United States in the grocery store, in gardens and growing on hillsides. It is a favorite snack of many and is known for its health benefits. Here are some fun and interesting facts about the carrot plant.
Description
The leaves are made up of several finely divided leaflets and originate from the base of the plant. The root is usually elongated with a pointed tip and the color orange, but can be short, round, blunt-tipped and colored red, purple, yellow, or white.
The flowers are compounded umbels made up of white or pinkish flowers. The seeds are one-seeded halves with spines that are removed when they are sold for cultivation. The plant is herbaceous (no woody part above ground) and biennial (lives two years).
Scientific Names
The carrot (both wild and domestic) belong to the Apiaceae family which consists of not only carrots but celery as well. The domestic carrot's botanical name is Daucus carota, and the wild carrots that are common in the U.S. are known as Daucus carota (not the same plant) and Daucus pusillus.
Common Names
Common names around the world for the domesticated and wild carrots are: carrot, carot, carotte, Djane Racene, Hu Lo Po, Jezar, Yarkuki, Zanahoria, and Queen Anne's Lace. The common names come from such areas of the world as China, Turkey, Europe, and the Middle East.
History
The wild carrot is the progenitor of the domestic carrot and is believed to originate from the area now known as Afghanistan. The plant spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe as a weed.
The Egyptians and Greeks were believed to first use the carrot leaves and seeds for medicinal purposes. The seed of the carrot is thought to have been in immigrants' sacks of seed or grain when they immigrated to the U.S.
Carrots were used as animal fodder until the World Wars forced people to get creative with their resources.
Some Uses
The root is now commonly eaten as a popular vegetable, but the leaves, flowers, and seeds have long been used for medicinal purposes. Some of the uses of the carrot plant have been to treat epileptic seizures, as an aphrodisiac, as a contraceptive, to treat snakebites, and to treat colds, itches, and fevers.
Warnings
If you plan on growing carrots for seed, be careful that no wild carrots are growing in the area as they will hybridize with your domestic carrots. Also, if you plan to collect and eat wild carrots, make sure that you collect the correct plant as there are poisonous plants that look like the wild carrots: for instance, the Poison Hemlock looks a lot like Queen Anne's lace.
Tags: wild carrots, Carrot Plant Information, Daucus carota, domestic carrot, flowers seeds