Carrot Plants Stock Photo

The carrot Daucus carota subsp. sativus is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Persia and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. The most commonly eaten part of the plant is the taproot, although the stems and leaves are also eaten. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged, more palatable, less woody-textured taproot.The carrot is a biennial plant in the umbellifer family, Apiaceae. At first, it grows a rosette of leaves while building up the enlarged taproot. Fast-growing cultivars mature within three months 90 days of sowing the seed, while slower-maturing cultivars need a month longer 120 days. The roots contain high quantities of alpha- and beta-carotene, and are a good source of vitamin K and vitamin B6.