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Daucus carota (the carrot) belongs to the Apiaceae family (or Umbelliferae) and comprises of a group of 6 subespecies.
It is a biennial plant: during the first year the root starts to grow and it flowers in the second year (specially at spring and summer).
The wild variety is native to Europe and southwestern Asia; the main crops are settled specially in Europe even though it is in China where gardening is more important.
The carrot is harvested before the second year, when the root is bigger.
It is above all very cultivated by the culinary uses of its root, which is prepared in many different forms (raw, boiled, fried, steamed...).
The radix is a taproot, measuring approximately 15 cm long and 3 wide, and it exists in many colours, orange being the most known.
The stem is herbaceous, green, with dense indumentum and with a variable growth between 10 and 40 cm.
The plant's inflorescence is a flattened compound umbel the flowers of which have white corolla and are formed of 5 obcordate petals (larger when they are in the outermost part).
The flowers have simple linear bracteoles, while the bracts are linear and branched.
In the middle of the umbel it is usual to find a red or black flower to attract insects.
It presents compound leaves of herbaceous texture and imparipinnate and bipinnate type.
When fructifying the umbel contracts in a bag shape.
The fruit is a mericarp welded by ribs with hairy and prominent spines, brown in colour.
The carrot is considered a prized vegetable for its high content of water, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins (A, B1, B2, B6, E).
It also has a high concentration of ß-carotene, a pigment that is a precursor to vitamin A and that gives the characteristic colour of the root (along with other carotenes).
It is not only important in cookery, but many interesting properties in the area of health have been attributed to Daucus carota:
Due to the large quantity of vitamin A and carotenes it is found beneficial to treat disorders related with vision.
Because of its high content in pectin it has antidiarrheal properties; it is also diuretic and sialagogic.
It is considered to strengthen the mucous membranes, preventing the bronchial, nasal and pharyngeal colds.
The essential oils obtained form the root are useful as anthelmintic.
When obtained from the seeds it is used as carminative, diuretic and emmenagogue.
It is used in depurative cures functioning as alkalizing: removes or compensates the residual acids of the blood.
It is also implemented to treat metabolic and endocrine disorders: anemia, dysmenorrhea, nervous depression, hyperthyroidism, growth delays ...
It is applied externally to reduce acne, infected wounds, eczema, abscesses, burns and to strengthen nails and hair.