The carrot Daucus carota subsp. The plant probably originated in Iran and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. The carrot is a biennial plant in the umbellifer family, Apiaceae. The characteristic orange colour is from beta-carotene , making carrots a rich source of vitamin A.
A myth that carrots help people to see in the dark was spread as propaganda in the Second World War, to account for the ability of British pilots to fight in the dark; the real explanation was the introduction of radar. Daucus carota is a biennial plant. In the first year, energy is stored in the taproot to enable the plant to flower in its second year.
Soon after germination , carrot seedlings show a distinct demarcation between taproot and stem: the stem is thicker and lacks lateral roots. At the upper end of the stem is the seed leaf. The first true leaf appears about 10โ15 days after germination. Subsequent leaves are alternate with a single leaf attached to a node , spirally arranged , and pinnately compound , with leaf bases sheathing the stem.
As the plant grows, the bases of the seed leaves, near the taproot, are pushed apart. The stem, located just above the ground, is compressed and the internodes are not distinct. When the seed stalk elongates for flowering, the tip of the stem narrows and becomes pointed, and the stem extends upward to become a highly branched inflorescence up to 60โ cm 20โ80 in tall. Most of the taproot consists of a pulpy outer cortex phloem and an inner core xylem. High-quality carrots have a large proportion of cortex compared to core.
Although a completely xylem-free carrot is not possible, some cultivars have small and deeply pigmented cores; the taproot can appear to lack a core when the colour of the cortex and core are similar in intensity. Taproots are typically long and conical, although cylindrical and nearly spherical cultivars are available.
