Apiaceae, (formerly umbellifereae), the carrot, parsley or umbel family.
Description:
Plant:
A hairy, branching, upright plant, 1'-3' high topped with broad heads of tiny white flowers, with strong carrot-like odor.
Biennial.
Flowers:
Flat-topped clusters (compound umbel UNMATCHEDs) of tiny white flowers 3"-5" across,
borne singly on slender stalks. Often there is a single dark red floret in
the center of the head.
Leaves:
Highly dissected UNMATCHED; fernlike, 2"-8" long.
Mostly basal UNMATCHED, alternate UNMATCHED on stalk.
Fruit:
Hairy seeds contained in fronds that curl inward to form a "bird's nest".
Blooming:
Late May until frost, most abundantly in June and July.
Habitat:
Fields and open areas. Common along roadsides, mixed with chicory in
midsummer.
Comments:
Sometimes called wild carrot, Queen Anne's lace is an introduced
plant and the ancestor of the cultivated carrot.
A hardy biennial, flowering the second year, it is sometimes a
troublesome weed.
The roots are reputed to be edible, like cultivated carrots,
but are generally so fibrous as to be unpalatable. Possibly there are tender
varieties, but I have not found one.
Where to find it:
Common in open areas throughout the park.
