1. Characters of Apiaceae:
Stem fistular, leaves alternate, much
dissected mostly decompound, sheathing leaf
base; inflorescence umbel or compound
umbel occasionally simple; flowers
epigynous, pentamerous, regular rarely
zygomorphic, hermaphrodite; calyx superior,
pentafid or 0; corolla five, polypetalous,
often inflexed; stamens 5; carpels 2;
syncarpous, bicarpellary with 2 pendulous
ovules; honey-disc surrounding the stigmas –
stylopodium is present; fruit cremocarp;
seeds endospermic and oily.
2. A. Vegetative characters:
Habit:
Plants are mostly herbs which may be annual, biennial or perennial, the herbs may be large
(Bupleurum, Heracleum, Agelica) rarely shrubs with aromatic odour due to the presence of oil
ducts. Pseudocarum climbs by means of its petioles which are very sensitive to contact.
Root:
Tap, branched sometimes swollen for the storage of food material e.g., Carrot (Daucus carota).
Stem:
Erect or prostrate; climbing in Pseudocarum; swollen nodes, sometimes ridged, usually fistular,
glaucous or glabrous.
Leaf:
Cauline and ramal; radical in young plants of Daucus, usually exstipulate, stipulate in Centella;
alternate, opposite in some species or Apiastrum; simple or much dissected, often decompound;
petiolate, petiole usually sheathing at the base, venation reticulate unicostate (Centella),
multicostate (Astrantia), parallel in Eryngium and Aciphylla. Palmately lobed leaves in Sanicula.
3. B. Floral characters:
Inflorescence:
Simple or compound umbel surrounded by thin leafy bracts called involucre; in
some reduced to single flower e.g., in some species of Centella and Azorella;
and to a compact head in Eryngium.
Flower:
Pedicellate, bracteate (Centella) or ebracteate (Foeniculum), perfect, complete,
actinomorphic and in some zygomorphic due to the enlargement of the outer
petals of the marginal flowers of the umbel (Coriandrum); hermaphrodite,
pentamerous, epigynous, discus present. In Echinophora each umbel has a
central female flower surrounded by male flowers. In Arctopus and Aciphylla
the flowers are fully dioecious. In Astrantia an intermediate condition is found.
4. Calyx:
Sepals 5, gamosepalous, small teeth or scales or absent (Foeniculum), adnate to
the ovary, valvate, green.
Corolla:
Petals 5, polypetalous, epigynous often emarginate, tips inflexed, valvate
(Foeniculum) imbricate, coloured.
Androecium:
Stamens 5, polyandrous, inserted under the disc, anthers dithecous, versatile,
introrse, filament long, equal in length, bent in the bud but ultimately spreading
out.
5. Gynoecium:
Bicarpellary, syncarpous, inferior, bilocular with a single pendulous bvule in each
loculus, antero-posteriorly placed, axile placentation, style two; stigmas two; on the top
of the ovary an epigynous glandular-stylopodium is present.
Fruit:
Schizocarpic cremocarp which splits into two one seeded mericarps, which rejnain
attached to a slender often forked axis – the carpophore; mericarps are longitudinally
ridged, in between the ridges are the farrows having oil ducts or vittae.
Seed:
Endospermic, embryo small.
Pollination:
Entomophilous due to nectar, scent and protandrous nature of flowers.
6.
7. Distribution of Apiaceae:
The family is commonly called carrot family. It was also named as Umbelliferae. It includes 295
genera and 2,850 species according to Willis. In India the family is represented by 180 species and 30
genera. The plants are distributed almost throughout the world except the arctic regions. The chief
centres of the distribution are north temperate and sub-tropical regions.
Economic Importance of Apiaceae:
This family is of considerable importance from economic point of view chiefly because the plants have
essential oil from which condiments or medicine are prepared.
Food:
Carrot (Daucus carota), celery (Apium graveolens), parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) and sowa (Peucedanum
graveolens) are chiefly used as pot herbs.
Condiments:
Hing {Ferula foetida), Ajwain (Carum copticum), Zira (Cuminum cyminum), Saunf (Foeniculum
vulgare), Dhania (Coriandrum sativum), are used as condiments or carminatives. Hing is a oleogum
resin obtained from the roots. Ferula sumbul and F. galbaniflua also produce hing. Dorema also
produces oleogum resin.
8. Fodder:
Several members as carrot, Heracleum, Angelica provide fodder for cattle and horses.
Medicinal:
Centella (H. Brahmi) is a very good tonic for brain. Hing, Saunf, Sowa, are used in
digestive disorders. Peucedanum, graveolens (H. Sowa) is used as Dill water for
children. Conium maculatum is the Hemlock plant. Its poison was given to Socrates;
medicinally it is important in all spasmodic affections such as cholera, epilepsy,
whooping cough, mania etc. Conium yields the alkaloid coniine.
Apium graveolens (H. Ajmud) produces apiin and used medicinally as cardiac tonic, or
in asthma etc.
The fleshy roots of Cicuta and Aethusa are poisonous to all kinds of livestock.
Ornamental:
Trachymene, Angelica, Eryngium, Heracleum are cultivated in gardens for their
beautiful flowers.
9. Primitive characters:
Plants are generally perennial and shrubby.
Leaves are simple and alternate in most of the genera.
Corolla is polypetalous.
Stamens polyandrous.
Flowers are actinomorphic and hermaphrodite, insect pollinated.
Seeds endospermic.
