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Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
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Apiaceae

APIACEAE

Herbs, rarely shrubs or climbers. Lvs alternate, simple and entire to palmately or pinnately compound or lobed; stipules usually 0, sometimes present. Fls ⚥ or unisexual, actinomorphic or sometimes outer fls irregular with enlarged outer petals, arranged in axillary or terminal, simple or compound umbels, these sometimes reduced to capitate heads. Calyx adnate to the ovary, with 5 teeth, conspicuous, minute or 0. Petals 5, free, variously inflexed or notched, rarely 0. Stamens usually 5, very rarely 2-4; filaments free; anthers 2-locular. Ovary inferior, usually 2-, very rarely 1-locular; styles 2, free, thickened at the base to form the nectary (stylopodium) over the ovary; ovules solitary, pendulous. Fr. dry, usually splitting down a septum (commissure) to form 2 mericarps, these often suspended from a central axis (carpophore); mericarps usually with 5 primary ribs and 4 secondary (often undeveloped) ribs between, oil canals (vittae) usually positioned in the furrows between the ribs; ribs variously hairy, winged or spinous.

SYNOPSIS

Fls and frs are important for identification, as is the form of basal and stem lvs, the presence or absence of bracts subtending umbels, and bracteoles subtending the umbellets.

Key

1
Lf margins spinous, or leaflets ridged, linear and pungent, rarely only sharply pointed (including softer-leaved Aciphylla spp. with usually numerous compound umbels arranged in simple, elongate, bracteate racemes)
2
Lvs soft, not armed (infls never as described above for Aciphylla)
3
2
Fls in dense bracteate capitula
ERYNGIUM
Fls in loose compound umbels arranged in compact or elongate racemes
ACIPHYLLA†ζ
3
Basal lvs and lower stem lvs simple, sometimes deeply palmately lobed or palmately 3-5-foliolate
4
Basal lvs and lower stem lvs 1-4-pinnate or ternate, rarely pinnately 3-foliolate
14
4
Decumbent or climbing perennials, not rooting at nodes, either woody at base and glabrous or herbaceous and with stellate hairs
5
Erect annuals, or creeping or mat forming perennials rooting at nodes, herbaceous, glabrous or with simple hairs
6
5
Glabrous climbers, woody at base
SCANDIA†ζ
Herbs, clothed in stellate hairs
BOWLESIAζ
6
Lvs entire
7
Lvs crenate, at least at base, or serrate to lobed, or 3-5-foliolate
11
7
Lvs ± linear, fistular, septate
8
Lvs ovate, suborbicular, oblong to elliptic-oblong, spathulate, lanceolate or linear, the blade distinctly flattened, not septate
9
8
Fls sessile in dense capitula; summer lvs with spinous margins
ERYNGIUM
Fls pedicellate in small umbels; all lvs similar
LILAEOPSIS†ζ
9
Stems and at least lf petiole hairy
ACTINOTUS†ζ
Stems and lvs glabrous
10
10
Erect annuals; lvs apetiolate, ovate and usually perfoliate, or linear to linear-lanceolate
BUPLEURUM
Stoloniferous or rhizomatous perennials; lvs petiolate, ovate to suborbicular
SCHIZEILEMA†
11
Mericarps rounded on back or slightly flattened dorsally, with broad commissure
SCHIZEILEMA†
Mericarps flattened laterally, with narrow commissure
12
12
Lvs clustered along stems; plant forming compact masses (M.)
AZORELLA†
Lvs few at nodes; plants forming loose patches
13
13
Stipules present; bracts 0 or small and scale-like
HYDROCOTYLE
Stipules inconspicuous; bracts present
CENTELLA†
14
Lvs hairy at least on midrib or petiole
15
Lvs glabrous
24
15
Ovary and fr. with a distinct beak, spines or tubercles
16
Ovary and fr. not armed, without tubercles or beak
19
16
Fr. 50-90 mm long; beak > 2× as long as ovuliferous portion
SCANDIXζ
Fr. up to 5 mm long; beak 0 or c. 1/4 length of seed bearing part
17
17
Ovary and fr. with a ring of hairs at base; fr. shortly beaked
ANTHRISCUS
Ovary and fr. without a distinct ring of hairs at base; beak 0
18
18
At least some bracts usually 1-pinnate; umbels pedunculate with numerous rays or with 1-9 very unequal rays
DAUCUS
Bracts simple or 0; umbels subsessile with 2-5 rays or pedunculate with 2-12, ± equal rays
TORILIS
19
Mericarps ± terete with ribs ± equal
20
Mericarps dorsally flattened to a broad commissure and lateral ribs winged (evident in fl.)
22
20
Lvs obscured by their dense covering of woolly hairs
ANISOTOME†ζ
Lvs sparsely to moderately hairy
21
21
Biennial; umbels compound; stems green, purple spotted
CHAEROPHYLLUM
Perennial; umbels simple; stems green
OREOMYRRHIS†
22
Monocarpic perennials with woody central stem; stem naked below and lvs and infls arising from stem apex; wings of fr. denticulate
MELANOSELINUM
Herbaceous biennials; flowering stems arising from basal rosette; wings of fr. entire
23
23
Petals yellow; stems green; bracteoles 0-2
PASTINACA
Petals white; stems green or tinged reddish brown or purple spotted; bracteoles c. 6-12
HERACLEUM
24
Bracteoles and bracts 0
25
Bracteoles and usually bracts present
28
25
Lvs 2-4-pinnate or ternate; segments linear to filiform
26
Lvs 1-2-pinnate or ternate; segments ovate, deltate, rhombic to lanceolate
27
26
Petals yellow; perennial up to 2 m tall at flowering; rays 4-25
FOENICULUM
Petals white; annual up to 0.5 m tall at flowering; rays 1-3-(4)
CICLOSPERMUM
27
Umbels subsessile or shortly pedunculate, lf-opposed; erect biennial or procumbent perennial
APIUM
Umbels distinctly pedunculate; erect rhizomatous perennial
AEGOPODIUM
28
Umbels simple
OREOMYRRHIS†
Umbels compound
29
29
Basal lvs and usually most lower stem lvs 1-pinnate
30
Basal lvs and lowermost stem lvs 2-4-pinnate or ternate
35
30
Soft aquatic herbs rooting at nodes
APIUM
Terrestrial herbs, shrubs or climbers, not rooting at nodes
31
31
Shrubs or climbers, woody at base
SCANDIA†ζ
Herbs with lvs in basal rosette and reduced lvs on flowering stems
32
32
Stem lvs 2-4-pinnate; outer fls of umbel with distinctly larger marginal petals; mericarps not separating at maturity
CORIANDRUM
Stem lvs 0, 1-pinnate or 1-2-ternate; petals all of similar size; mericarps separating at maturity
33
33
Biennial, sexually monomorphic herbs; infl. diffuse; umbels of (1)-2-5-(6) unequal rays
SISON
Perennial, often sexually dimorphic herbs; infl. compact or diffuse; umbels of few to numerous ± equal rays
34
34
Infls axillary; lateral ribs of fr. much > or = dorsal ribs; usually gynodioecious
GINGIDIA†ζ
Infls terminal; all ribs of fr. equal; dioecious
ANISOTOME†ζ
35
Petals yellow to greenish yellow; bracts subtending umbels simple, but usually some lobed
PETROSELINUM
Petals white, sometimes tinged green, pink or cream; bracts subtending umbels simple, pinnate or ternate
36
36
Most bracts subtending compound umbels pinnately or ternately divided
37
All bracts subtending compound umbels simple, sometimes fused
38
37
Annual with erect flowering stems up to 1 m tall with few to many compound umbels; rays long, slender, incurved at fruiting
AMMI
Perennial up to 15 cm tall with 1 or rarely few, ± sessile, compound umbels; rays stout, recurved outward at fruiting
LIGNOCARPA†ζ
38
Stems and petioles green or purple-tinged, and with purple spots and blotches
CONIUM
Stems and petioles green or reddish purple-tinged but not spotted
39
39
Rays puberulent; lvs dark glossy green
ANGELICA
Rays glabrous; lvs dull green or grey-green
40
40
Aquatic herbs rooting at nodes, or terrestrial tuberous herbs with rays and pedicels thickened at fruiting
OENANTHE
Terrestrial tap-rooted herbs; rays and pedicels unchanged at fruiting
41
41
Infls terminal; all ribs of fr. equal; dioecious
ANISOTOME†ζ
Infls axillary; lateral ribs of fr. much > or = dorsal; usually gynodioecious
GINGIDIA†ζ

c. 300 genera, 3000 spp., cosmopolitan, but mainly temperate.

The Apiaceae or Umbelliferae, the alternative family name, contain a number of important vegetables (e.g. carrots, parsnips) as well as a large number of herbs (e.g. parsley, fennel, dill, coriander) and several poisonous spp. (e.g. hemlock, giant hogweed). Three subfamilies are usually recognised of which the Hydrocotyloideae are sometimes treated as a separate family Hydrocotylaceae.

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