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Apiaceae |
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Flowers: Perfect or imperfect and the plants monoecious or rarely dioecious, small, actinomorphic with a trend to zygomorphy; carpels 2, syncarpous, with a STYLOPODIUM; ovary inferior, 2-locular; 1 pendulous ovule per locule
APIACEAE
Inflorescences: Simple or compound umbels Fruits: Ribbed schizocarps with 2 mericarps containing oil tubes, connected by a CARPOPHORE Habit: Biennial, perennial, or annual herbs with hollow stems, aromatic, sometimes deadly poisonous Leaves: Alternate, with oil tubes, mostly pinnately compound, sheathing base NOTE: Both Zomlefer and Judd et al. include the Araliaceae within the Apiaceaae. This follows cladistic theory, which states that a monophyletic group contains ALL the descendants of the most recent common ancestor of that group. This follows research reported by Dr. Downie. See the cladogram on page 197 in Zomlefer. However, you are only expected to know the characteristics of the Apiaceae in the narrow sense, such as given in these class notes and in Digital Flowers, i.e., those with schizocarps. Examples:
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