Misplaced Pages

#471528

75-467: The carrot ( Daucus carota subsp. sativus ) is a root vegetable , typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot , Daucus carota , native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Iran and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. The carrot

150-518: A leaf vegetable , but are rarely eaten by humans; some sources suggest that the greens contain toxic alkaloids . When used for this purpose, they are harvested young in high-density plantings, before significant root development, and typically used stir-fried , or in salads. Some people are allergic to carrots. In a 2010 study on the prevalence of food allergies in Europe, 3.6 percent of young adults showed some degree of sensitivity to carrots. Because

225-639: A 50/50 mix of sand and wood shavings, or in soil. A temperature range of 0 to 4 °C (32 to 40 °F) and 90–95% humidity is best. During storage, carrots may be subject to the development of bitterness, white blush, and browning, leading to carrot losses. Bitterness can be prevented by storage in well-ventilated rooms with low ethylene content (for example, without ethylene-producing fruit and vegetables). White blush and browning can be countered with application of edible films, heat treatment, application of hydrogen sulfide , and ultraviolet irradiation. In 2022, world production of carrots (combined with turnips )

300-451: A 6th-century AD Constantinopolitan copy of the Greek physician Dioscorides ' 1st-century pharmacopoeia of herbs and medicines, De Materia Medica . The text states that "the root can be cooked and eaten". Another copy of this work, Codex Neapolitanes from late 6th or early 7th century, has basically the same illustrations but with roots in purple. The plant was introduced into Spain by

375-400: A close resemblance to poison hemlock, and the leaves of the wild carrot may cause phytophotodermatitis , so caution should also be used when handling the plant. The seeds and flowers have been used as a supposed method of contraception and an abortifacient for centuries, but scientific research has not confirmed any such effects and there is no evidence of safety. If used as a dyestuff ,

450-421: A completely xylem-free carrot is not possible, some cultivars have small and deeply pigmented cores; the taproot can appear to lack a core when the colour of the cortex and core are similar in intensity. Taproots are typically long and conical, although cylindrical and nearly spherical cultivars are available. The root diameter can range from 1 cm ( 3 ⁄ 8  in) to as much as 10 cm (4 in) at

525-455: A distinction can be made between a lower narrowed, stalk-like basal part referred to as the claw, and a wider distal part referred to as the blade (or limb). Often, the claw and blade are at an angle with one another. Wind-pollinated flowers often have small, dull petals and produce little or no scent. Some of these flowers will often have no petals at all. Flowers that depend on wind pollination will produce large amounts of pollen because most of

600-495: A floral cup ( hypanthium ) above the ovary, and from which the petals proper extend. A petal often consists of two parts: the upper broader part, similar to a leaf blade, also called the blade; and the lower narrower part, similar to a leaf petiole , called the claw , separated from each other at the limb . Claws are distinctly developed in petals of some flowers of the family Brassicaceae , such as Erysimum cheiri . The inception and further development of petals show

675-540: A great variety of patterns. Petals of different species of plants vary greatly in colour or colour pattern, both in visible light and in ultraviolet. Such patterns often function as guides to pollinators and are variously known as nectar guides , pollen guides, and floral guides. The genetics behind the formation of petals, in accordance with the ABC model of flower development , are that sepals, petals, stamens , and carpels are modified versions of each other. It appears that

750-650: A long period of time can result in carotenemia , a harmless yellow-orange discoloration of the skin caused by a buildup of carotenoids. Despite popular belief, the provitamin A beta-carotene from carrots does not actually help people to see in the dark unless they suffer from vitamin A deficiency . This myth was propaganda used by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War to explain why British pilots had improved night vision which enabled their success during nighttime air battles; in reality, it

825-559: A mild effect on horses. The compound falcarinol is naturally found in Daucus carota for protection against fungal diseases. Lab tests show the compound to be toxic to mice and the water flea Daphnia magna . Normal consumption of carrots has no toxic effect in humans. Like the cultivated carrot, the D. carota root is edible while young, but it quickly becomes too woody to consume. The flowers are sometimes battered and fried. The leaves and seeds are also edible. D. carota bears

SECTION 10

#1732771837472

900-436: A plant can be in the process of flowering for 30–50 days. The distinctive umbels and floral nectaries attract pollinating insects. After fertilization and as seeds develop, the outer umbellets of an umbel bend inward causing the umbel shape to change from slightly convex or fairly flat to concave, and when cupped it resembles a bird's nest. The fruit that develops is a schizocarp consisting of two mericarps ; each mericarp

975-410: A popular ready-to-eat snack food available in many supermarkets. Carrot juice is widely marketed, especially as a health drink, either stand-alone or blended with juices from fruits and other vegetables. The sweetness of carrots allows the vegetable to be used in some fruit-like roles. They are used grated in carrot cakes , as well as carrot puddings , an English dish thought to have originated in

1050-504: A reddish or purple flower (the "ruby") in the centre of the umbel. The lower bracts are three-forked or pinnate, which distinguishes the plant from other white-flowered umbellifers . As the seeds develop, the umbel curls up at the edges, becomes more congested, and develops a concave surface. The fruits are small, dry, bumpy, oval and flattened, with short styles and hooked spines, as well as protective hairs surrounding it. The fruit has two mericarps, or bicarpellate . The endosperm of

1125-460: A root that smells like carrots, and occasionally a single dark red flower in the center of the umbel. Hemlock is also different in tending to have purple mottling on its stems, which also lack the hairiness of the plain green Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot) stems. Both plants have been spread into North America by European settlers and are now common wildflowers; Daucus carota is often known as Queen Anne's lace there. Anne, Queen of Great Britain

1200-628: A subspecies, Daucus carota subsp. sativus . The wild carrot is a herbaceous , somewhat variable biennial plant that grows between 30 and 120 cm (1 and 4 ft) tall, and is roughly hairy, with a stiff, solid stem . The leaves are tripinnate , finely divided and lacy, and overall triangular in shape. The leaves are 5–15 cm (2–6 in) long, bristly and alternate in a pinnate pattern that separates into thin segments. The flowers are small and dull white, clustered in flat, dense umbels . The umbels are terminal and about 8–15 cm (3–6 in) wide. They may be pink in bud and may have

1275-415: A variety of shapes acting to aid with the landing of the visiting insect and also influence the insect to brush against anthers and stigmas (parts of the flower). One such example of a flower is the pohutukawa ( Metrosideros excelsa ), which acts to regulate colour in a different way. The pohutukawa contains small petals also having bright large red clusters of stamens. Another attractive mechanism for flowers

1350-564: A vestigial trait. It has been suggested that they have the adaptive function of mimicking insects, thus either discouraging herbivory, or attracting pollinators by indicating the presence of food or opportunities for mating. One study in Portugal found that the dark florets contributed to visitation by the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci , and that higher numbers of dark florets correlated with increased visitation, whereas inflorescences without dark florets had fewer visits. Replacing

1425-489: Is Daucus carota . Both domestic and wild carrot are from the same species, Daucus carota L . There are several subspecies of D. carota that have evolved to different climates and atmospheres. Two examples of these subspecies are specifically from the Netherlands . D. carota subsp. sativus has roots that can be a wide range of colors. It has a thicker root and sweeter taste. The whorl of barbs above

1500-621: Is gamopetalous or sympetalous . In the case of fused tepals, the term is syntepalous . The corolla in some plants forms a tube. Petals can differ dramatically in different species. The number of petals in a flower may hold clues to a plant's classification. For example, flowers on eudicots (the largest group of dicots ) most frequently have four or five petals while flowers on monocots have three or six petals, although there are many exceptions to this rule. The petal whorl or corolla may be either radially or bilaterally symmetrical (see Symmetry in biology and Floral symmetry ). If all of

1575-480: Is a biennial plant in the umbellifer family, Apiaceae . World production of carrots (combined with turnips ) for 2022 was 42 million tonnes , led by China producing 44% of the total. The characteristic orange colour is from beta-carotene , making carrots a rich source of vitamin A . A myth that carrots help people to see in the dark was spread as propaganda in the Second World War, to account for

SECTION 20

#1732771837472

1650-692: Is a diploid species, and has nine relatively short, uniform-length chromosomes (2 n =18). The genome size is estimated to be 473 mega base pairs , which is four times larger than Arabidopsis thaliana , one-fifth the size of the maize genome, and about the same size as the rice genome. Polyacetylenes can be found in Apiaceae vegetables like carrots where they show cytotoxic activities. Falcarinol and falcarindiol ( cis -heptadeca-1,9-diene-4,6-diyne-3,8-diol) are such compounds. This latter compound shows antifungal activity towards Mycocentrospora acerina and Cladosporium cladosporioides . Falcarindiol

1725-572: Is a true seed . The paired mericarps are easily separated when they are dry. Premature separation (shattering) before harvest is undesirable because it can result in seed loss. Mature seeds are flattened on the commissural side that faced the septum of the ovary . The flattened side has five longitudinal ribs. The bristly hairs that protrude from some ribs are usually removed by abrasion during milling and cleaning. Seeds also contain oil ducts and canals. Seeds vary somewhat in size, ranging from less than 500 to more than 1000 seeds per gram. The carrot

1800-402: Is deep, loose and well-drained, sandy or loamy, with a pH of 6.3 to 6.8. Fertilizer should be applied according to soil type because the crop requires low levels of nitrogen, moderate phosphate and high potash. Rich or rocky soils should be avoided, as these will cause the roots to become hairy and/or misshapen. Irrigation is applied when needed to keep the soil moist. After sprouting, the crop

1875-547: Is eventually thinned to a spacing of 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) and weeded to prevent competition beneath the soil. There are several diseases that can reduce the yield and market value of carrots. The most devastating carrot disease is Alternaria leaf blight, which has been known to eradicate entire crops. A bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas campestris can also be destructive in warm, humid areas. Root knot nematodes ( Meloidogyne species) can cause stubby or forked roots, or galls . Cavity spot , caused by

1950-622: Is possible that the orange carrot was favored by the Europeans because it does not brown the soups and stews as the purple carrot does and, as such, was more visually attractive. Modern carrots were described at about this time by the English antiquary John Aubrey (1626–1697): "Carrots were first sown at Beckington in Somersetshire. Some very old Man there [in 1668] did remember their first bringing hither." European settlers introduced

2025-491: Is the Queen Anne for whom the plant is named. It is so called because the inflorescence resembles lace , prominent in fine clothing of the day; the red flower in the center is said to represent a droplet of blood where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace. The function of the central dark floret of D. carota has been subject to debate since Charles Darwin speculated that they are

2100-542: Is the main compound responsible for bitterness in carrots. Other compounds include pyrrolidine present in the leaves and 6-hydroxymellein . Both written history and molecular genetic studies indicate that the domestic carrot has a single origin in Central Asia. Its wild ancestors probably originated in Greater Iran (regions of which are now Iran and Afghanistan ), which remains the centre of diversity for

2175-421: Is the title and subject of a poem by William Carlos Williams published in the 1921 collection titled Sour Grapes . Petal Although petals are usually the most conspicuous parts of animal-pollinated flowers, wind-pollinated species, such as the grasses , either have very small petals or lack them entirely (apetalous). The collection of all petals in a flower is referred to as the corolla. The role of

2250-702: Is the use of scents which are highly attractive to humans. One such example is the rose. On the other hand, some flowers produce the smell of rotting meat and are attractive to insects such as flies. Darkness is another factor that flowers have adapted to as nighttime conditions limit vision and colour-perception. Fragrancy can be especially useful for flowers that are pollinated at night by moths and other flying insects. Flowers are also pollinated by birds and must be large and colourful to be visible against natural scenery. In New Zealand, such bird–pollinated native plants include: kowhai ( Sophora species), flax ( Phormium tenax ) and kaka beak ( Clianthus puniceus ). Flowers adapt

2325-471: The Daily Value , DV) of vitamin A (93% DV) and a moderate amount (10–19% DV) of vitamin K (11% DV) and potassium (11% DV), but otherwise have low content of micronutrients (table). As a common source of beta-carotene in diets, carrots are a provitamin A source; an enzyme converts beta-carotene into vitamin A in the small intestine . Carrots can be eaten in a variety of ways. Only 3 percent of

Carrot - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-503: The House of Orange and the struggle for Dutch independence , although there is little evidence for this beyond oral tradition and the timing. Western carrot cultivars are commonly classified by their root shape. The four general types are: Breeding programs have developed new cultivars to have dense amounts of chemically-stable acylated pigments , such as anthocyanins , which can produce different colours. One particular cultivar lacks

2475-618: The Moors in the 8th century. In the 10th century, roots from West Asia, India and Europe were purple. The modern carrot originated in Afghanistan at about this time. The 11th-century Jewish scholar Simeon Seth describes both red and yellow carrots, as does the 12th-century Arab- Andalusian agriculturist, Ibn al-'Awwam . Cultivated carrots appeared in China in the 12th century, and in Japan in

2550-647: The oomycetes Pythium violae and Pythium sulcatum , results in irregularly shaped, depressed lesions on the taproots. Physical damage can also reduce the value of carrot crops. The two main forms of damage are splitting, whereby a longitudinal crack develops during growth that can be a few centimetres to the entire length of the root, and breaking, which occurs postharvest. These disorders can affect over 30% of commercial crops. Factors associated with high levels of splitting include wide plant spacing, early sowing, lengthy growth durations, and genotype . Carrots can be good companions for other plants; if left to flower,

2625-422: The pea family . In many plants of the aster family such as the sunflower, Helianthus annuus , the circumference of the flower head is composed of ray florets. Each ray floret is anatomically an individual flower with a single large petal. Florets in the centre of the disc typically have no or very reduced petals. In some plants such as Narcissus , the lower part of the petals or tepals are fused to form

2700-428: The stigma becomes receptive to receive pollen . The stamens of the brown, male, sterile flowers degenerate and shrivel before the flower fully opens. In the other type of male sterile flower, the stamens are replaced by petals, and these petals do not fall off. A nectar-containing disc is present on the upper surface of the carpels . Flowers change sex in their development, so the stamens release their pollen before

2775-550: The wild carrot Daucus carota . A naturally occurring subspecies of the wild carrot was presumably bred selectively over the centuries to reduce bitterness, increase sweetness and minimise the woody core; this process produced the familiar garden vegetable. When first cultivated, carrots were grown for their aromatic leaves and seeds rather than their roots. Carrot seeds have been found in Switzerland and Southern Germany dating back to 2000–3000 BC. Some close relatives of

2850-450: The β-carotene in raw carrots is released during digestion: this can be improved to 39% by pulping, cooking and adding cooking oil. Alternatively they may be chopped and boiled, fried or steamed, and cooked in soups and stews , as well as baby and pet foods. A well-known dish is carrots julienne . Together with onion and celery , carrots are one of the primary vegetables used in a mirepoix to make broths . The greens are edible as

2925-477: The 10th century, or possibly earlier. Specimens of the Eastern carrot that survive to the present day are commonly purple or yellow, and often have branched roots. The purple colour common in these carrots comes from anthocyanin pigments. The "Western" carrot emerged in the Netherlands in the 16th or 17th century. There is a popular belief that its orange colour made it popular in those countries as an emblem of

3000-537: The 16th or 17th century. The orange carrot was created by Dutch growers. There is pictorial evidence that the orange carrot existed at least in 512, but it is probable that it was not a stable variety until the Dutch bred the cultivar termed the "Long Orange" at the start of the 18th century. Some claim that the Dutch created the orange carrots to honor the Dutch flag at the time and William of Orange , but other authorities argue these claims lack convincing evidence and it

3075-639: The ability of British pilots to fight in the dark; the real explanation was the introduction of radar . The word is first recorded in English around 1530 and was borrowed from the Middle French carotte , itself from the Late Latin carōta , from the ancient Greek καρωτόν ( karōtón ), originally from the Proto-Indo-European root *ker- ('horn'), due to its horn-like shape. In Old English , carrots (typically white at

Carrot - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-567: The carrot are still grown for their leaves and seeds, such as parsley , coriander (cilantro), fennel , anise , dill and cumin . The first mention of the root in classical sources is from the 1st century AD; the Romans ate a root vegetable called pastinaca , which may have been either the carrot or the closely related parsnip . The plant is depicted and described in the Eastern Roman Juliana Anicia Codex ,

3225-498: The carrot to colonial America in the 17th century. Outwardly purple carrots, still orange on the inside, were sold in British stores beginning in 2002. Carrots are grown from seed and can take up to four months (120 days) to mature, but most cultivars mature within 70 to 80 days under the right conditions. They grow best in full sun but tolerate some shade. The optimum temperature is 16 to 21 °C (61 to 70 °F). The ideal soil

3300-557: The carrot, like any umbellifer , attracts predatory wasps that kill many garden pests. Carrot cultivars can be grouped into two broad classes: "Eastern" carrots and "Western" carrots. A number of novelty cultivars have been bred for particular characteristics. "Eastern" (a European and American continent reference) carrots were domesticated in Persia (probably in the lands of modern-day Iran and Afghanistan within West Asia) during

3375-464: The color of the flower can vary from red to deep purple. The following subtaxa are accepted: Native to temperate regions of Europe and southwest Asia , the plant was spread to North America and Australia. The plant is commonly found along roadsides and in unused fields. It thrives best in sun to partial shade. Skin contact with the foliage of Daucus carota , especially wet foliage, can cause skin irritation in some people. It may also have

3450-408: The corolla in plant evolution has been studied extensively since Charles Darwin postulated a theory of the origin of elongated corollae and corolla tubes. A corolla of separate petals, without fusion of individual segments, is apopetalous . If the petals are free from one another in the corolla, the plant is polypetalous or choripetalous ; while if the petals are at least partially fused, it

3525-421: The dark florets with one or more freeze-killed A. verbasci, who are similar to the florets in size and shape produced similar results to those observations of inflorescences with intact florets. The carrot was first officially described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum . In 2016, an international team sequenced the full genome of Daucus carota . Cultivated carrot's only parent

3600-749: The early 19th century. Carrots can be used alone or blended with fruits in jams and preserves . In the European Union , there is a rule specifying that only fruits can be used in making jams; to preserve the Portuguese carrot jam delicacy (or Doce de Cenoura in Portuguese), the Council of the European Union adopted a directive that changed the legal statute of carrot from "vegetable" into "fruit". Very high consumption of carrots over

3675-510: The end of the main floral stem; smaller secondary umbels grow from the main branch, and these further branch into third, fourth, and even later-flowering umbels. A large, primary umbel can contain up to 50 umbellets, each of which may have as many as 50 flowers; subsequent umbels have fewer flowers. Individual flowers are small and white, sometimes with a light green or yellow tint. They consist of five petals , five stamens , and an entire calyx . The stamens usually split and fall off before

3750-432: The flower/petals are important in selecting the type of pollinators they need. For example, large petals and flowers will attract pollinators at a large distance or that are large themselves. Collectively, the scent, colour, and shape of petals all play a role in attracting/repelling specific pollinators and providing suitable conditions for pollinating. Some pollinators include insects, birds, bats, and wind. In some petals,

3825-423: The flowers give a creamy, off-white color. D. carota , when freshly cut, will draw or change color depending on the color of the water in which it is held. This effect is only visible on the "head" or flower of the plant. Carnations also exhibit this effect. This occurrence is a popular science demonstration in grade school. This beneficial weed can be used as a companion plant to crops. Like most members of

SECTION 50

#1732771837472

3900-412: The fruit grows before the embryo . The dried umbels detach from the plant, becoming tumbleweeds . The function of the tiny red flower, coloured by anthocyanin , is to attract insects. The flowers bloom from May to September. Similar in appearance to the deadly poison hemlock , D.   carota is distinguished by a mix of tripinnate leaves, fine hairs on its solid green stems and on its leaves,

3975-452: The ground, is compressed and the internodes are not distinct. When the seed stalk elongates for flowering, the tip of the stem narrows and becomes pointed, and the stem extends upward to become a highly branched inflorescence up to 60–200 cm (20–80 in) tall. Most of the taproot consists of a pulpy outer cortex ( phloem ) and an inner core ( xylem ). High-quality carrots have a large proportion of cortex compared to core. Although

4050-582: The major carrot allergen , the protein Dauc c 1.0104, is cross-reactive with homologues in birch pollen (Bet v 1) and mugwort pollen (Art v 1), most carrot allergy sufferers are also allergic to pollen from these plants. In India, carrots are used in a variety of ways, as salads or as vegetables added to spicy rice or dal dishes. A popular variation in north India is the Gajar Ka Halwa carrot dessert, which has carrots grated and cooked in milk until

4125-427: The mechanism on their petals to change colour in acting as a communicative mechanism for the bird to visit. An example is the tree fuchsia ( Fuchsia excorticata ), which are green when needing to be pollinated and turn red for the birds to stop coming and pollinating the flower. Flowers can be pollinated by short-tailed bats. An example of this is the dactylanthus ( Dactylanthus taylorii ). This plant has its home under

4200-411: The mechanisms to form petals evolved very few times (perhaps only once), rather than evolving repeatedly from stamens. Pollination is an important step in the sexual reproduction of higher plants. Pollen is produced by the male flower or by the male organs of hermaphroditic flowers. Pollen does not move on its own and thus requires wind or animal pollinators to disperse the pollen to the stigma of

4275-514: The petals are essentially identical in size and shape, the flower is said to be regular or actinomorphic (meaning "ray-formed"). Many flowers are symmetrical in only one plane (i.e., symmetry is bilateral) and are termed irregular or zygomorphic (meaning "yoke-" or "pair-formed"). In irregular flowers, other floral parts may be modified from the regular form, but the petals show the greatest deviation from radial symmetry. Examples of zygomorphic flowers may be seen in orchids and members of

4350-531: The petals in aiding the pollinator towards the nectar. Pollinators have the ability to determine specific flowers they wish to pollinate. Using incentives, flowers draw pollinators and set up a mutual relation between each other in which case the pollinators will remember to always guard and pollinate these flowers (unless incentives are not consistently met and competition prevails). The petals could produce different scents to allure desirable pollinators or repel undesirable pollinators. Some flowers will also mimic

4425-399: The pollen scattered by the wind tends to not reach other flowers. Flowers have various regulatory mechanisms to attract insects. One such helpful mechanism is the use of colour guiding marks. Insects such as the bee or butterfly can see the ultraviolet marks which are contained on these flowers, acting as an attractive mechanism which is not visible towards the human eye. Many flowers contain

4500-648: The presence of apples . Also, ethylene can easily produce stress, causing a bitter taste. The history of Daucus carota and its cultivation in different parts of the world can be traced back through historical texts and artwork. Paintings from the 16th and 17th century, for example, that are of maids in a market or farmers' most recent crops can provide information on carrots' history. Studying such paintings shows that yellow or red roots were cultivated in Turkey , North Africa , and Spain . Orange roots were cultivated in 17th century Netherlands . " Queen Anne's Lace "

4575-420: The same or nearby flowers. However, pollinators are rather selective in determining the flowers they choose to pollinate. This develops competition between flowers and as a result flowers must provide incentives to appeal to pollinators (unless the flower self-pollinates or is involved in wind pollination). Petals play a major role in competing to attract pollinators. Henceforth pollination dispersal could occur and

SECTION 60

#1732771837472

4650-407: The scents produced by materials such as decaying meat, to attract pollinators to them. Various colour traits are used by different petals that could attract pollinators that have poor smelling abilities, or that only come out at certain parts of the day. Some flowers can change the colour of their petals as a signal to mutual pollinators to approach or keep away. Furthermore, the shape and size of

4725-408: The spine on the vallecular ridges of the mericarp of D. carota subsp. sativus mature very well. D. carota subsp. carota has white roots that do not vary in color and, unlike D. carota subsp. sativus , has a thin root, bitter taste and are not edible. The middle umbellet of D. carota subsp. carota is not well developed (unlike in D. carota subsp. sativus ) and

4800-409: The states of Iowa, Michigan, and Washington have listed it as a noxious weed , and it is considered a serious pest in pastures. It persists in the soil seed bank for two to five years. Several different factors can cause the root of a carrot to have abnormal metabolites (notably 6-methoxymellin ) that can cause a bitter taste in the roots. For example, carrots have a bitterer taste when grown in

4875-434: The stem is thicker and lacks lateral roots. At the upper end of the stem is the seed leaf . The first true leaf appears about 10–15 days after germination. Subsequent leaves are alternate (with a single leaf attached to a node), spirally arranged , and pinnately compound , with leaf bases sheathing the stem. As the plant grows, the bases of the seed leaves, near the taproot, are pushed apart. The stem, located just above

4950-407: The stigma of the same flower is receptive. The arrangement is centripetal, meaning the oldest flowers are near the edge and the youngest flowers are in the center. Flowers usually first open at the outer edge of the primary umbel, followed about a week later on the secondary umbels, and then in subsequent weeks in higher-order umbels. The usual flowering period of individual umbels is 7 to 10 days, so

5025-414: The survival of many species of flowers could prolong. Petals have various functions and purposes depending on the type of plant. In general, petals operate to protect some parts of the flower and attract/repel specific pollinators. This is where the positioning of the flower petals are located on the flower is the corolla e.g. the buttercup having shiny yellow flower petals which contain guidelines amongst

5100-419: The time) were not clearly distinguished from parsnips . The word's use as a colour name in English was first recorded around 1670, originally referring to yellowish-red hair. Daucus carota is a biennial plant . In the first year, energy is stored in the taproot to enable the plant to flower in its second year. Soon after germination , carrot seedlings show a distinct demarcation between taproot and stem:

5175-458: The umbellifer family, it attracts wasps to its small flowers in its native land; however, where it has been introduced, it attracts very few wasps. In northeast Wisconsin, when introduced with blueberries it did succeed in attracting butterflies and wasps. This species is also documented to boost tomato plant production when kept nearby, and it can provide a microclimate of cooler, moister air for lettuce , when intercropped with it. However,

5250-454: The usual orange pigment due to carotene, owing its white colour to a recessive gene for tocopherol (vitamin E), but this cultivar and wild carrots do not provide nutritionally significant amounts of vitamin E. Carrots can be stored for several months in the refrigerator or over winter in a cool dry place. For long term storage, unwashed carrots can be placed in a bucket between dry layers of sand,

5325-479: The whole mixture is solid, after which nuts and butter are added. Carrot salads are usually made with grated carrots with a seasoning of mustard seeds and green chillies popped in hot oil. Carrots can also be cut into thin strips and added to rice, can form part of a dish of mixed roast vegetables, or can be blended with tamarind to make chutney . Since the late 1980s, baby carrots or mini-carrots (carrots that have been peeled and cut into uniform cylinders) have been

5400-455: The widest part. The root length ranges from 5 to 50 cm (2 to 20 in), although most are between 10 and 25 cm (4 and 10 in). Flower development begins when the flat meristem changes from producing leaves to an uplifted, conical meristem capable of producing stem elongation and a cluster of flowers . The cluster is a compound umbel , and each umbel contains several smaller umbels (umbellets). The first (primary) umbel occurs at

5475-469: Was 42 million tonnes , led by China with 44% of the total. Uzbekistan, the United States, and Russia were the only other countries producing over 1 million tonnes annually (table). Raw carrots are 88% water, 9% carbohydrates , 1% protein , and contain negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), raw carrots supply 41 calories and have a rich content (20% or more of

5550-567: Was a 100,000-ton surplus of carrots from the extra production. Daucus carota See text Daucus carota , whose common names include wild carrot , European wild carrot , bird's nest , bishop's lace , and Queen Anne's lace (North America), is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae . It is native to temperate regions of the Old World and was naturalized in the New World . Domesticated carrots are cultivars of

5625-668: Was thanks to newly adopted radar technology . The consumption of carrots was advocated in Britain at the time as part of a Dig for Victory campaign. A radio program called The Kitchen Front encouraged people to grow, store and use carrots in various novel ways, including making carrot jam and Woolton pie , named after the Lord Woolton , the Minister for Food . The British public during WWII generally believed that eating carrots would help them see better at night and in 1942 there

#471528