Annual or biennial, taprooted herbs, usually hispid to some degree. Leaves 2–3-pinnate. Inflorescence a terminal compound umbel; central flowers often sterile and reduced to purple or black bristles; bracts several, or lacking. Fertile flowers bisexual; sepals small or absent; petals obovate, 2-lobed with an inflexed apex; nectary conical. Fruit oblong-ovoid, cylindrical or dorsally slightly compressed, usually bristly and enclosing the nectary and style with spines; mericarp with 5 filiform primary ribs and 4 stouter secondary ribs usually with a single row of bristles; carpophore persistent, entire or bifid.
About 60 species, cosmopolitan; 1 native and 2 or 3 naturalised species in Australia.
Source:
Duretto, M.F. (1999). Apiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 256–258. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
