Apiaceae
A family of aromatic flowering plants including celery, carrot, and parsley.
Apiaceae, also called Umbelliferae, is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus Apium, and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers.
- Number of species
- More than 3,800
- Type genus
- Apium
- Alternative name
- Umbelliferae
- First described by
- Recognized as a distinct group by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 (as Umbelliferae), with earlier herbal references dating to the 16th century
- Earliest fossils
- Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), with additional Eocene pollen fossils
- Estimated origin
- Late Cretaceous, likely in the Northern Hemisphere (e.g., temperate Eurasia or western North America)
Lore & Background
The name Apiaceae derives from the type genus Apium, originally used by Pliny the Elder circa 50 AD for a celery-like plant. The alternative name Umbelliferae refers to the characteristic compound umbel inflorescence.
Reader's Guide
Apiaceae is significant as a large and economically important family of flowering plants, providing many staple food crops and culinary herbs such as carrot, celery, parsley, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, and anise. Its defining characteristic is the inflorescence, nearly always aggregated in terminal umbels, which may be simple or compound. The family also includes a significant number of phototoxic species, such as giant hogweed and parsnip, alongside deadly toxic paralytic species like poison hemlock and water hemlock. The fruits of many species are dispersed by wind, while others have hooked bristles that catch in animal fur. The family is solidly placed within the Apiales order and is closely related to Araliaceae, though boundaries between these families remain unclear. Molecular phylogenetic studies have led to a proposed division into four subfamilies: Apioideae, Azorelloideae, Mackinlayoideae, and Saniculoideae, with Apioideae containing about 90% of genera. The earliest fossils date to the Eocene epoch, though the family is estimated to have originated during the Late Cretaceous, likely in Australasia.
Did You Know?
- The family includes phototoxic species such as giant hogweed and parsnip.
- The fruit is a schizocarp consisting of two fused carpels that separate into two mericarps, each containing a single seed.
- The black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes, uses the family Apiaceae for food and host plants for oviposition.
- The family includes silphium, a plant whose exact identity remains unclear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Apiaceae's powers or role?
Members of this family are celebrated for producing potent aromatic compounds, which is why so many of them double as culinary herbs and spices such as dill, fennel, cumin, and coriander. Their blossoms characteristically form flat-topped clusters called umbels, a trait that inspired the family's older common name.
How does Apiaceae's story end?
Apiaceae is far from finished; it currently ranks as the 12th- or 13th-largest family of flowering plants depending on the classification system in use. Its deep roots reach back to the Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian stage, with additional fossil traces in the form of Eocene-era pollen grains.
Why is Apiaceae important?
The family underpins a huge slice of human agriculture and medicine, contributing everyday staples like carrot, celery, and parsnip alongside pharmaceuticals derived from asafoetida and angelica. It also includes the legendary silphium, an ancient plant so prized that overharvesting drove it to extinction.
Who created Apiaceae?
The family was formally recognized as a distinct botanical group by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 under the name Umbelliferae, although 16th-century herbalists had already been cataloguing its members. The modern name Apiaceae honors the type genus Apium, the celery genus.
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