A family tree of food plants

Many of our food plants are in the parsley family, Apiaceae. There are around 400 genera worldwide, with 75 genera in North America. We eat the taproot with parsnips and carrots. Parsley and cilantro leaves are aromatic herbs we use to flavor our food. The seeds of coriander and cumin are common spices. The family gets its name from celery, genus Apium. With celery, we eat the stem.

The plants in this family have one thing in common: the flower. The flower is shaped like an upside-down umbrella. All stems of the flower cluster radiate from a single point at the end of the stalk. These small stems are like the ribs of an umbrella. For this reason, they are often called “umbels” by botanists.

Beware: Water hemlock and poison hemlock are poisonous and deadly.

— katie martin, UC Marin Master Gardeners