Daucus carota  

The following comes from Dale (1974). Daucus carota is protandrous; on an individual flower, the gynoecium (egg) is still immature when the pollen is released. Long filaments can facilitate self-fertilization of adjacent flowers when insect pollination fails. Seeds of the terminal, primary umbel mature first, are largest, have the highest viability, and have two to three times the number of seeds as do subsequent umbels. The umbel dries as it matures and breaks open, scattering the seeds. Flowers appear from May through October, and seeds mature and are released from mid-summer to mid-winter. The seeds have barbs, which promote dispersal by animals and wind (Gross and Werner 1982). There is no evidence for vegetative reproduction.

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.

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

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.