| the plant family Umbelliferae (or Apiaceae), characterized by herbaceous plants having alternate, usually compound leaves, hollow stems, numerous small flowers borne in umbels, and dry, seedlike, often aromatic fruit, and including anise, caraway, carrot, celery, dill, parsley, parsnip, and Queen Anne's lace, as well as poisonous plants such as cowbane and water hemlock. |
| parsley family n. A large family of aromatic herbs, the Umbelliferae (Apiaceae), characterized by compound leaves and small flowers grouped in umbels and including vegetables such as carrots, celery, dill, parsley, and parsnips and spices such as anise, coriander, and cumin. |
parsley family
the parsley family, in the order Apiales, comprising between 300 and 400 genera of plants distributed throughout a wide variety of habitats, principally in the north temperate regions of the world. Most members are aromatic herbs with alternate, feather-divided leaves that are sheathed at the base. The flowers are often arranged in a conspicuous umbel (a flat-topped cluster of flowers). Each small individual flower is usually bisexual, with five sepals, five petals, and an enlarged disk at the base of the style. The fruits are ridged and are composed of two parts that split open at maturity
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