The plant world is diverse and fascinating. Exploring it, you can learn a lot of interesting and previously unknown. Consider one of the common types. Umbrella, or celery, plants belong to the flowering department, the Dicotyledonous class and the Umbrella order.
Brief information from the botany section
The Umbelliferae family, whose characteristics are discussed in this section, mainly consists of perennial herbs. However, there are a small number of shrubs. Plants are easy to identify by the characteristic appearance of inflorescences, consisting of small white, yellow, pink or blue flowers. Umbrellas of inflorescences can be simple or complex. The flowers in them are regular, bisexual, with a barely noticeable calyx. Most often, the corolla of a flower has 5 petals. The flower has 5 stamens and a pistil. Nectar, which attracts insects for pollination, is secreted by a protruding disk at the base of the column.
The fruit of all representatives is a bipartite achene. When ripe, it is held for a long time on an elongated thread that grows as a continuation of the pedicel. Botanists call it visloplodnik. Fruit walls are often filled with essential oils.
Leaves in most cases are pinnatedissected, with a swollen lower part covering the stem like a groove.
Spreading seeds
Plants are found everywhere. They prefer a temperate climate, but are also present in the tropical zone. Many species are resistant to cold. The Umbrella family consists of more than four hundred genera. It has an extensive species diversity (3500 species). Favorite places of growth - Europe, Asia, North America.
Plants of the Umbelliferae family have light seeds that are carried over long distances by wind, water currents, on animal fur or human clothing. To increase the windage, many seeds have enlarged wing-shaped longitudinal ribs.
Those species that are spread by animals and humans have hook-like devices on the seeds. This allows you to attach to wool or clothing and get a long distance from the mother plant.
If the seeds of plants representing the Umbelliferae family do not have additional adaptations, then they are spread with lumps of soil sticking to the paws of animals or human shoes.
Economic value. Vegetables and seasonings
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of these plants for agriculture. For example, carrots are grown in large volumes. Its roots contain useful vitamins and essential oils. Man has been growing this crop, which represents the Umbelliferae family, for more than 4 thousand years.
Parsley is grown in large quantities. This is a plant in which not only the root crop can be used as food,but also young green leaves. The human body receives a large amount of vitamin C when eating parsley, and its seeds contain useful essential oils.
The Umbelliferae family, used as spices and condiments, grows all over the world. These are coriander, cumin, dill, fennel and others. Lovage is widely used as a seasoning for soups, meats and salads. Its taste is similar to celery, but not as spicy and harsh.
Medicinal plants
Due to the high content of essential oils and coumarins, plants are widely used in medicine. So, for example, babies are given dill water infused with the seeds of this plant as a remedy for bloating and colic. Anise is used as an antitussive and in teas to increase lactation.
Officially approved for medical use is the root of the Siberian puffball. On its basis, the drug dimidine is produced. Another medicinal herb of the Umbelliferae family is cumin. Its seeds have an antispasmodic effect and are widely used as a gastrointestinal remedy.
In Chinese medicine, the properties of angelica are highly valued. This plant uses roots, shoots, and seeds. Medicines based on angelica cure gynecological diseases, relieve pain in case of neuralgia and toothache. Some other species of angelica are used as a hemostatic and sedative.
Folk andofficial medicine uses several types of volodushka plants. They have a beneficial effect on the stomach and pancreas, affect the acidity of the produced juice, and improve the composition of bile. In addition, goat-leaved goat-leaf is used for malaria and dengue fever. These plants have been proven to have antispasmodic, antiseptic, sedative and diuretic effects.
The Umbrella family boasts a large number of different plants that are used to alleviate the human condition.
Ornamental Plants
Many landscape designers like to use plants of this family to decorate flower beds and summer cottages. They highly appreciate the decorative properties of Mantegazzi hogweed and Alpine eryngium.
But the perennial herbaceous umbellate susak is commonly used for the manufacture of decorative items. Rugs, baskets and mats are woven from its leaves. But this plant is rightfully classified not as an ornamental species, but as a medicinal one. And in ancient times, it was widely used as food, since susak roots can be baked, ground into flour and fried.
Attention! Danger
Among the umbrella plants come across poisonous specimens. An example is hemlock. Despite the fact that this is a valuable medicinal plant, it can cause severe poisoning. The main problem is that hemlock grows like a weed, but it is very similar to its edible relatives.
As you can see, plants of the Umbelliferae family canbe very useful to humans. Although among them there are weeds and poisonous species.
