Daucus carota var. sativus, The Carrot

Phylogeny

This phylogenetic tree gives prospective as to where Daucus carota var. sativus lies within Kingdom Plantae.  The organization of the phylogenetic tree is based mostly on morphological features.  One of the closest relatives of the cultivated carrot is Daucus carota var. carota, commonly known as Queen Anne’s Lace.  Other relatives include those within the family Apiaceae.  Commonly known relatives within this family include celery, parsnip, parsley, and dill.

This phylogenetic tree offers a more detailed view of the Daucus genus.  The phylogeny is based on chloroplast RFLP markers, which is a way of classifying species based on genetic criteria.

If you would like to find out more about organisms related to carrots check out the multiple organism pages for peppermint, dandelions, pistachios, sunflowers, venus flytraps, and cranberries.  All of these organisms are related to carrots up to the class Magnoliopsida, meaning that they are all dicots.

To learn about the anatomy of carrots click here.