Daucus carota

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Wild Carrot)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "redirect hatnote". Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Speciesbox

Daucus carota, whose common names include wild carrot,[1][2] European wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, carrot flower, and Queen Anne's lace (North America), is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Old World with a number of regional subspecies, and is naturalised widely elsewhere.[3] Carrots cultivated as a food crop are cultivars of the domesticated subspecies Daucus carota subsp. sativus.

Description

The wild carrot is a herbaceous, somewhat variable biennial plant that grows to Template:Cvt, rarely Template:Cvt tall,[2][4][5] and is roughly hairy, with a stiff, solid stem. The leaves are tripinnate, finely divided and lacy, and overall triangular in shape. The leaves are Script error: No such module "convert". long,[5] bristly and alternate in a pinnate pattern that separates into thin segments. The flowers are small and dull white, clustered in flat, dense umbels. The umbels are terminal and about Template:Cvt wide.[6][5] They may be pink in bud and may have one (rarely a few) pink, reddish or purple flower (the "ruby") in the centre of the umbel.[1] There are 7–13 bracts below the umbel; these are three-forked or pinnate, which distinguishes the plant from other white-flowered umbellifers.[2] As the seeds develop, the umbel curls up at the edges, becomes more congested, and develops a concave surface. The fruit is a small, dry, bumpy, oval and flattened carpel 2.5–4 mm long, with short styles and hooked spines, as well as protective hairs surrounding them;[2][7][6] it is bicarpellate, with two mericarps. Its endosperm grows before the embryo.[8] The dried umbels can detach from the plant, and have been suggested to have tumbleweed characteristics.[9]Template:Better source needed The function of the tiny red flower, due to anthocyanin, is to attract insects. The flowers are mainly produced from June to August,[1][2] rarely also in May or September.[6][5]

Identification

D.Script error: No such module "String".carota is similar in appearance to the deadly poison hemlock, but is readily distinguished by a mix of tripinnate leaves, fine hairs on its solid green stems and its leaves, a root that smells like carrots, and often a single red flower in the centre of the umbel.[10][11] Hemlock also differs in having purple mottling on its stems, which also lack the hairiness of the plain green wild carrot stems.[12] Even more distinctive is the unpleasant smell of the crushed leaves of hemlock which is like mouse urine.[13]

Function of the dark central floret

The function of the central dark floret of D. carota has been subject to debate since Charles Darwin speculated that it is vestigial.[14] Some have suggested that it has the adaptive function of mimicking insects, thus either discouraging herbivory[15] or attracting pollinators[16] by indicating the presence of food or opportunities for mating.[17] One study in Portugal found that the dark florets contributed to visitation by the varied carpet beetle Anthrenus verbasci, and that higher numbers of dark florets correlated with increased visitation, whereas inflorescences without dark florets had fewer visits. Replacing the dark florets with one or more freeze-killed A. verbasci, which are similar to the florets in size and shape, produced similar results to observations of inflorescences with intact florets.[18]

Script error: No such module "Multiple image".

Taxonomy

The carrot was first officially described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum.[19] In 2016, an international team sequenced the full genome of Daucus carota.[20]

Subspecies

The cultivated carrot derives from the wild carrot; both are the same species Daucus carota L.[21]

D. carota subsp. carota is the type subspecies, native across temperate areas of the Old World and since naturalised in most temperate regions. Many subspecies of D. carota have evolved in different climates. The type subspecies and all wild subspecies have consistently white roots, with a thin taproot with a bitter taste and woody centre. The middle umbellet of D. carota subsp. carota is not well developed (unlike in D. carota subsp. sativus) and the centre flower varies from red to deep purple.[22]

The cultivated carrot (the domesticated subspecies D. carota subsp. sativus) has been found to be most closely related to Central Asian examples of the type subspecies, indicating a single domestication event and supporting the historical record of its origin there.

D. carota subsp. sativus has roots that can be a wide range of colours, with a thicker root and sweeter taste. The whorl of barbs above the spine on the vallecular ridges of the mericarp of D. carota subsp. sativus mature very well,Script error: No such module "Unsubst". and the middle umbellet is well developed.[22]

List of subspecies

File:Daucus carota subsp. gummifer (Sea Carrot)-1 - Flickr - Ragnhild & Neil Crawford.jpg
Daucus carota subsp. gummifer on the Irish coast

The following subtaxa are accepted:[3]

  • Daucus carota var. abyssinicus A.BraunScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Eritrea and Ethiopia
  • Daucus carota subsp. annuus (Bég.) Mart.Flores, D.M.Spooner & M.B.CrespoScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Cape Verde
  • Daucus carota subsp. azoricus FrancoScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Azores
  • Daucus carota subsp. cantabricus A.PujadasScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Spain
  • Daucus carota subsp. capillifolius (Gilli) ArbizuScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — northern Libya
  • Daucus carota subsp. caporientalis ReduronScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Corsica
  • Daucus carota subsp. carota — wild carrot; widespread
  • Daucus carota subsp. commutatus (Paol.) Thell.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Portugal & western Mediterranean area
  • Daucus carota subsp. corsoccidentalis ReduronScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Corsica
  • Daucus carota subsp. drepanensis (Arcang.) HeywoodScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — western & central Mediterranean area
  • Daucus carota subsp. fontanesii Thell.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — western Mediterranean area
  • Daucus carota subsp. gadecaei (Rouy & E.G.Camus) HeywoodScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — northwestern France
  • Daucus carota subsp. gummifer (Syme) Hook.f.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — sea carrot; Britain and Denmark south to Portugal and Spain. Restricted to coastal sites;[23] shorter, but stouter, and densely hairy, stems, fleshy leaves, and often larger, denser, more globose flowerheads.[1][24]
  • Daucus carota subsp. halophilus (Brot.) A.PujadasScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — central and southern Portugal
  • Daucus carota subsp. hispanicus (Gouan) Thell.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — western & central Mediterranean area
  • Daucus carota subsp. major (Vis.) Arcang.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — southern Europe, Turkey
  • Daucus carota subsp. majoricus A.PujadasScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Balearic Islands
  • Daucus carota subsp. maritimus (Lam.) Batt.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Macaronesia, Mediterranean
  • Daucus carota subsp. maximus (Desf.) BallScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Canary Islands, Mediterranean east to Pakistan
  • Daucus carota var. meriensis ReduronScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Corsica
  • Daucus carota subsp. otaportensis ReduronScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Corsica
  • Daucus carota subsp. rupestris (Guss.) HeywoodScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Malta, Sicily
  • Daucus carota subsp. sativus (Hoffm.) Schübl. & G.MartensScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — cultivated carrot; originated in Turkey, cultivated globally
  • Daucus carota subsp. tenuissimus (A.Chev.) Mart.Flores, D.M.Spooner & M.B.CrespoScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Cape Verde (Santo Antão, Fogo)
  • Daucus carota subsp. valeriae ReduronScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". — Corsica

Distribution and habitat

Daucus carota is native to temperate regions of Europe, northern Africa (south to Ethiopia), southwestern and eastern Asia;[3] it has also been introduced to and become naturalised in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is commonly found in meadows, along roadsides and in unused fields. It thrives best in sun to partial shade.[6]

Toxicity

Like many other species of Apiaceae, the leaves of the wild carrot may cause phytophotodermatitis; skin contact with the foliage, especially wet foliage, can cause skin irritation in some people, so caution should be used when handling the plant.[25][26][27] It may also have a mild effect on horses.[28]

The compound falcarinol is naturally found in Daucus carota for protection against fungal diseases. Laboratory tests show the compound is toxic to mice and to the water flea Daphnia magna.[29] Normal consumption of carrots has no toxic effect in humans.[30]

Uses

Like the cultivated carrot, the wild carrot root is edible while young, but quickly becomes too woody to consume.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The flowers are sometimes battered and fried. The leaves and seeds are also edible.[6]

The seeds and flowers have been used as a method of contraception and an abortifacient for centuries, but scientific research has not confirmed any such effects and there is no evidence of safety.[31] If used as a dyestuff, the flowers give a creamy, off-white colour.

Association with other plants

This species can be used as a companion plant to crops. Like most members of the umbellifer family, it attracts wasps to its small flowers in its native land, but where it has been introduced, it attracts very few wasps. In northeast Wisconsin, it did succeed in attracting butterflies and wasps when introduced with blueberries.[32] This species is also documented to boost tomato plant production when kept nearby, and it can provide a microclimate of cooler, moister air for lettuce, when intercropped with it.[33] But Iowa, Michigan, and Washington have listed it as a noxious weed,[34] and it is considered a serious pest in pastures. It persists in the soil seed bank for two to five years.[35]

Taste

Several different factors can cause the root of a carrot to have abnormal metabolites (notably 6-methoxymellin) that can cause a bitter taste in the roots. For example, carrots have a bitterer taste when grown in the presence of apples. Also, ethylene can easily produce stress, causing a bitter taste.[36]

Culture

Wild carrot has been introduced into North America by European settlers and has become common; it is often known as "Queen Anne's lace" there. Anne, Queen of Great Britain is the queen after whom the plant is reputedly named, though as a plant name it is not known before 1895, 180 years after her death.[37] It is so called because the inflorescence resembles lace, prominent in fine clothing of the day; the red flower in the centre is said to represent a droplet of blood where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace.[38]

History through artwork

The history of Daucus carota and its cultivation in different parts of the world can be traced through historical texts and artwork. Paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries, for example, of maids in a market or farmers' most recent crops can provide information on carrots' history. Such paintings show that yellow or red roots were cultivated in Turkey, North Africa, and Spain. Orange roots were cultivated in 17th-century Netherlands.[39]

References in poetry

"Queen Anne's Lace" is the title and subject of a poem by William Carlos Williams in his 1921 collection Sour Grapes.

See also

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b c Template:Cite POWO
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Hemlock Poisoning at eMedicine
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Darwin, Charles. The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species. --. London: JMurray, 1877.
  15. ↑ Detto, C. "Blutenbiologische Untersuchungen, I. Uber Die Beteutung Der Insektenahnlichkeit Der Ophrysblute Nebst Bemerkungen Uber Die Mohrenblute Dei Daucus Carota". Flora, Jena 94 (1905): 287–329.
  16. ↑ Rothschild, M. "Some Observations on the Relationship between Plants, Toxic Insects and Birds". In Phytochemical Ecology, edited by J.B. Harborne, 1–12. London: Academic Press, 1972.
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Phytophotodermatitis~clinical at eMedicine
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Further reading

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Carrots Template:Taxonbar Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Daucus_carota&oldid=4663462"