Daucus carota, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1981, Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae, Cambridge University Press : 374

8. D. carota L. , Sp. Pl. 242 (1753)

(inch D. gingidium L. ).

Annual or biennial, variable in habit and branching; stems 10-100(-150) cm, glabrous to hispid. Leaves 2- to 3-pinnate, rarely less divided, the segments linear to lanceolate, glabrous to pubescent, thin or fleshy; upper cauline leaves often bract-like. Umbels concave, flat or convex, with a variable number of rays. Bracts as long as the rays or shorter, 1 - to 2-pinnatisect; bracteoles of outer partial umbels 3-sect, those of the inner simple. Petals white to purplish, often with one or several flowers of the central umbel dark purple. Fruit 2-4 mm; spines on the secondary ridges not longer than the width of the mericarps. Most of Europe. All except Fa Is Sb, but only as an alien in Fe Rs (N).

Extremely polymorphic and variously divided into a number of subspecies, of which the following appear to deserve recognition. Hybridization between these subspecies is frequent and identification is often difficult. Several authors prefer to recognize subspp. (f) to (I) as a separate species (£>. gingidium L. ). 1 Umbels strongly contracted in fruit

2 Stem procumbent or ascending (j) subsp. gadecaei 2 Stem erect

3 Terminal umbel 3-5 cm across; plant usually glabrous or very sparsely retrorse-scabrid (b) subsp. maritimus 3 Terminal umbels 5-15 cm or more across; plant usually hispid

4 Tap-root swollen, fleshy, orange or whitish (e) subsp. sativus 4 Tap-root slender, white

5 Terminal umbels (10-)12-20(-30) cm across; spines on the secondary ridges usually stellulate (d) subsp. maximus 5 Terminal umbels 5-10 cm across; spines on the secondary ridges simple or 2-pointed, rarely stellulate

6 Segments of lower leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate,

dentate or pinnatifid with lanceolate lobes; spines simple or 2-pointed (c) subsp. major 6 Segments of lower leaves ovate or cuneate-lanceolate,

deeply pinnatifid or pinnatisect with linear or linearlanceolate lobes; spines mainly simple (a) subsp. carota 1 Umbels convex or only slightly contracted in fruit

7 Pinnae forming a right angle with the rhachis

(g) subsp. commutatus 7 Pinnae forming an acute angle with the rhachis 8 Leaves not fleshy; stem usually more than 30 cm, erect 9 Stem and leaf-rhachis sparsely pubescent (h) subsp. hispanicus 9 Stem and leaf-rhachis densely hispid (i) subsp. hispidus 8 Leaves ± fleshy, usually shiny; stem usually less than 30 cm,

often procumbent or ascending 10 Stem glabrous or sparsely hairy 11 Spines on secondary ridges straight (k) subsp. drepanensis 11 Spines on secondary ridges curving upwards

(f) subsp. gummifer 10 Stem densely hairy 12 Leaf-segments usually 3(-5)-fid, the lobes ovatelanceolate (k) subsp. drepanensis 12 Leaf-segments incise-dentate, pinnatifid or pinnatisect

13 Leaves not shiny, densely pubescent; stems c. 10cm,

little-branched (1) subsp. rupestris

13 Leaves shiny, sparsely pubescent; main stems 10-30

(-80) cm, much-branched, with erecto-patent branches (f) subsp. gummifer