TAXONOMY 
377 
Umbelliferce or Parsley Family. —Herbs, rarely shrubs, often of 
rapid growth, and with upright, fistular (hollow at internodes, 
solid at nodes), often grooved and ridged stems. Leaves alternate, 
compound and usually much divided, exstipulate, but with expanded 
sheathing and flattened leaf base (Pericladium), that ensheathes 
the stem. Inflorescence a simple or often compound umbel sur¬ 
rounded by an involucre of bracts or of bracteoles. Flowers small, 
pentamerous, with inferior ovary and superior floral parts. Sepals 
minute, tooth-like, inserted above inferior ovary, or absorbed. 
Petals small, usually yellow to white, rarely pink to purple, distinct, 
eact with inflexed tip. Stamens five, epigynous, inserted below a 
nectariferous, epigynous disc, incurved in bud. Carpels two, fused 
into bicarpellate pistil. Ovary two-celled, with one pendulous 
ovule in each cell, ovarian wall traversed by oleoresin canals; 
styles two, distinct above the nectar disc or stylopod. Fruit a dry, 
splitting fruit or cremocarp, that splits lengthwise into two mericarps 
which hang for a time by a forked carpophore. Seeds single in each 
mericarp, albuminous. 
Official drug Part used Botanical origin Habitat 
Anisum Ripe fruit Pimpinella Anisum Asia Minor, Egypt 
and Greece 
Anethol N.F. 
Foeniculum 
Nearly ripe 
fruit 
Rhizome and 
roots 
Fruit 
Unripe fruit 
Gum resin 
Foeniculum vulgare Mediterranean 
Sumbul 
region 
Ferula Sumbul Turkestan 
Petroselini Radix Root 
N.F. 
Angelicse Fructus Ripe fruit 
Petroselinum Ripe fruit 
Carum 
Conium N.F. 
Asafoetida 
Coriandrum Ripe fruit 
Petroselinum 
sativum 
Petroselinum 
sativum 
Angelica Archangel- 
Carum Carvi 
Conium maculatum 
Ferula foetida, F. 
Asafoetida, etc. 
Coriandrum sativum 
Europe, Asia 
Europe 
Persia and 
Afghanistan 
Mediterranean 
and Caucasian 
regions 
Southern Europe 
Asia Minor 
Southern Europe, 
Asia Minor 
Northern Europe 
