208 WILD FLOWER FAMILIES 
attract a great variety of flies and other insects 
for the purpose of pollination. 
The Wild Carrot is an excellent example of the 
large Parsley family (Umbellifer@) in which 
many small flowers are held on rather short stems 
that project from a common center. It is also 
called the Carrot family. The cultivated carrot 
has been developed from this wild species, which 
is also called Bird’s-nest and Queen Antie’s Lace. 
Several weeds and poisonous plants also belong 
to this Carrot family. Perhaps the most famous 
of these is the Poison Hemlock, or Poison Pars- 
ley. This is a wayside species growing sometimes 
to a height of six feet, having many flat-topped 
umbels of small white flowers, and finely cut 
parsley-like leaves. It is a biennial and one of 
the most poisonous of medicinal herbs, 
