Name: Apiaceae
Meaning of Name:
Apiaceae, from Latin apium (‘parsley’, ‘celery’) + Latin -āceae (the feminine plural of -āceus, ‘resembling’, a suffix used to form the taxonomic family names of plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi)
Common Names:
The celery, carrot or parsley family, the umbellifers
Botanical Information:
Apiaceae, or the celery, carrot or parsley family contains over 440 genera and 3,800 species.
Most species are herbs and a small number are woody shrubs and trees. This is a very economically important family, with such species as anise, cumin, carrot, parsley, coriander, celery, chervil, fennel, parsnip mand dill used globally.
The defining botanical characteristic of this family is the distinctive inflorescence made of compound umbels, which resemble inverted umbrella ribs.
Nowadays the Apiaceae family is defined phylogenetically by four subfamilies: Apioideae, Azorelloideae, Mackinlayoideae, and Saniculoideae.
The photo chosen to illustrate this family shows the inflorescence, known as an umbrel, of Italian or flat-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum).
Image copyright © Optimate Group Pty Ltd
