Apiaceae

Apiaceae, also known as Umbelliferae, is an aromatic plant family. It consists of more than 3,700 species in 434 genera, making it the 16th most extensive family of flowering plants. Some common plants like carom seeds (ajwain), anise, asafetida, carrot, cumin (jeera), fennel, celery, coriander (dhania), and parsley all belong to this family. Giant hogweed is a phytotoxic species, spotted cowbane is one of the poisonous species, and a few species of water dropwort are a part of this family of plants. They commonly occupy the tropical and north temperate regions and are often grown and harvested during the winter season in India.

Vegetative Characters

• Plants of this family survive at high amounts of aromatic oils.
• Plants are generally annual, biennial, or perennial.
• Plants of this family have a Taproot system where they have one main root from which many lateral roots arise. The roots of plants like carrot and radish are modified to store food in the form of starch.
• The stems are generally greenish, straight, and have voids at the points of leaf attachment. Sometimes the stem even penetrates through the ground to store food materials. 
• Leaves have reticulate venation and are pinnately or palmately compound in shape. Leaf petiole consists of a sheath covering the stem or the bottom part of the leaf.

Flower Characters

• The top of the flower is either a simple umbel or a compound umbel. The umbel with a flat top looks similar to an umbrella giving this family an alternate name, which is Umbelliferae.
• Flowers of these plants are usually bisexual and rarely unisexual, actinomorphic (radial symmetry), or zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry.) The flower is epigynous if hypanthium is fused with the ovary. Hypanthium is like a flower cup where all the accessory organs and reproductive organs of a flower are attached. Bracts may or may not be present. 
• Calyx- It comprises 5 sepals that are joined to the ovary wall. Valvate aestivation is present.
• Corolla- Alternating 5 free petals and sepals are present. Petals usually fall off early as they are apically curved in the bud. Imbricate or Valvate aestivation is present with two-lobed petals.
• Androecium- Alternating 5 petals and sepals are present, arising from an epigynous disc. The filaments are equivalent in length and dithecous.
• Gynoecium- It has 2 joined carpels with an inferior bilocular ovary. Single pendulous and anatropous ovule is present in each carpel with axile placentation. The stylopodium located on the top of the ovary surrounds the two styles with distinct stigmas.
• Pollination- Flowers of these plants can be pollinated by insects due to their colourful petals and the availability of nectar. Hence the pollination is entomophily.
• Seed- It has endospermic seeds with small embryos. Flat, crescent or concave endosperm can be found in these plants.

Important plants of the Family

Let us look at some of the important plants of the family:

1. Apium graveolens (Celery)
2. Cicuta douglasii (Western Water Hemlock)
3. Coriandrum sativum (Coriander)
4. Cuminum cyminum (cumin, Jeera)
5. Daucus carota (Carrot)
6. Ferula asafoetida (Asafoetida)
7. Hydrocotyle asiatica (Brahmi)
8. Oenanthe aquatic (Water dropwort)
9. Pastinaca sativa (Parsnip)
10. Trachyspermum ammi (Azwain, Vamu)

Economical Uses

• Plants belonging to this family are also used for medicinal purposes, for example- Hing, Ajwain, Zira, Saunf, and Dhania.
• Some plants are often used for decorative purposes like Trachymene, Angelica, Eryngium, and Heracleum.
• Some produce essential oils and form flavouring aromatic herbs like parsley, coriander, and cilantro.
• Carrot juice is used to add colour to butter while cooking food.

Toxicity

• Few species in the family Apiaceae produce furanocoumarins that are phytotoxic (poisonous) in nature and make human skin sensitive to sunlight and may cause phytophotodermatitis, which is serious skin inflammation.
• Carrot, celery, fennel, parsley, and parsnip contain polyynes compounds that show cytotoxic effects that are they act as toxic substances in the organism’s body and can cause serious damage to cells or tissues.

Conclusion

The Apiaceae Family is also known as the Umbelliferae family. Members of this family are known to produce essential oils. These plants can grow annually or can show perennial or biennial life cycles and are commonly found in tropical regions. Often roots and stems of these plants are modified to store food. Members of the Apiaceae family are mostly aromatic plants with a huge amount of economical uses in food, medicines, fodder, and decoration. Though members of this family are of great importance some of them are also poisonous and can cause skin diseases.