Apiaceae: an introduction to carrot, caraway & cumin

Characteristic displays of tiny flowers and repeatedly divided leaves make Apiaceae (the Umbels) one of the easiest plant families to recognise. It includes some of our most striking species (graceful Queen Anne's Lace, magnificent Giant Hogweed) and some of our most useful and familiar vegetables and herbs. However, this is a family of challenging look-alikes, which many people prefer to avoid! We shall focus on the key identification features, notably those of the fruit, which form the basis of their taxonomic classification.