GARDEN CARROT
- Another names: Garden carrot,
- Cultivated carrot Daucus carota
- Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
Motherland of carrot is Western Asia. It came from wild carrot that was very popular in Mediterranean and in the North part of Europe and Asia. As a garden carrot it appeared in first thousand of AD. In 14-15 century it became very popular in Europe. In Ukraine garden carrot is one of the most important vegetable. It is grown outdoor in all regions. Beet-roots contain 5-10 mg % of ascorbic acid, 3-30 mg of carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, PP, 5-10 % of saccharose ( in best variety 12%), many micro-elements and mineral salt. Orange-red carrot-root has a special value as it contains high amount of carotene and beneficial combination of vitamins and mineral salts. Carrot is useful as fresh one, it can be conserved or dried. Leaves can also be used for cooking ( in soups, souses). Fruits also can be used as condiments for different dishes, marinads, in alcoholic beverage industry, for fish preparation.
A little information from botany: carrot is two-year-old-plant that forms leaf rosette in the first year and gives seeds on the second one.
- Carrot flowers are small, monoclinous and white.
- Inflorescence is umbel.
- Fruit is diachenium that divides into 2 seeds after ripening.
- Seeds have flat-egg shape with 4 row of spinelets. The weight of seeds (without spinelets ) is 1,1-1,5 g. It keeps viability qualities for 2 years.
- Carrot-root is fleshy, the shape can differ depending on varieties conical, shorten-conical, round, cylindrical and spindle shaped. Carrot also can have different colour white, orange, red, pink and violet it depends on different pigments.