(aka Wild Carrot)
Daucus carota
This member of the Parsley family sports lacey, flat topped clusters of tiny cream white flowers with one dark reddish-brown floret usually in the center of the umbel. Flower clusters are 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 12.5 cm) wide and rest atop a rough, hairy stem that ranges from 2 to 5 feet (61 to 152 cm) in height. Each cluster is surrounded by a stiff, three forked leaf-like bract below. Leaves are 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) long and very finely cut into linear segments. Umbels curve inward to form a "bird's nest". This biennial is considered a weed and grows in a variety of habitats including waste areas, open fields and along roadsides. Flowers appear from May to October.The cultivated carrot was developed from a variety of this species.
