Daucus carota L.

The fruit used for medicine (“hu luo bo”) and oil.

It is a common plant both in the hills and the plains. The carrot is cultivated throughout our area.

Plants to 120 cm. Leaves oblong, 2–3-pinnate/pinnatisect; ultimate segments linear to lanceolate, 2–15 × 0.5–4 mm, glabrous to hispid especially on the veins and margins, acute, mucronate. Peduncles 10–55 cm, retrorsely hispid; bracts foliaceous, pinnate, rarely entire, lobes linear, 3–30 mm, margin scarious; rays 2–7.5 cm, unequal; bracteoles 5–7, linear, entire or 2–3-lobed, more or less scarious and ciliate, equaling or exceeding flowers. Petals white, sometimes yellow or pinkish. Fruit 3–4 × ca. 2 mm. Fl. May–Jul.

Plants biennial, 15 cm to 1 m tall. Root a thick tap-root. Stem glabrous to pilose; hairs white. Leaves compound, 2-3-pinnate, hispid; segments linear to oval; margin deeply toothed; tips mucronate. Peduncles up to 30 cm long, his¬pid. Involucre of pinnately divided bracts, up to 5 cm long; segments filiform to linear. Rays numerous, the outer longer, incurved. Involucel of undivided or divided bractlets; margins entire or ciliate. Calyx teeth minute. Petals white to yellowish or light purple, the outer radiate; the petals of the central flower of an umbel sometimes red. Ovary hispid; styles 0.5 to 1 mm long. Fruit ovoid, 2-3 mm long; primary ridges not prominent, slightly bristly; secondary ridges winged, spiny; spines white; one vitta under each secondary ridge; commissure 2-vittate.

Anhui, Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang [N Africa, SW Asia, Europe; cultivated and adventive worldwide in temperate regions].

Distribution: A cosmopolitan plant.

Mountain slopes, ruderal areas, also widely cultivated; 2000–3000 m.