Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)

Plant profiles
Picture of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)
Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)

SxPOTW is back after its summer break with a plant that has been catching my attention since we left off at the beginning of August: Daucus carota (Wild Carrot). 

Is it me, or has this year been an annus mirabilis for this species? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it growing in such profusion, in some cases covering literally acres of grassland. Perhaps it’s because the prolonged dry spell prevented competition from grasses and other less drought-tolerant herbs?

Picture of habitat of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)

Even in ordinary years it is an eye-catching plant, with its flower heads or umbels progressing through a variety of ‘poses’ before the seeds are finally set. These too are striking when seen close up. 

Picture of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)
Daucus carota (Wild Carrot) seed head
Picture of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)
Daucus carota (Wild Carrot) umbel

The other notable feature of the umbels is the frequent presence of a coloured flower at the centre, usually red in colour.

Picture of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)
Central red flower of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)
Picture of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)
Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)

The reason for this remains a matter of speculation, with the commonest reason given that it attracts pollinators, although Darwin considered it a ‘redundant’ feature. Quite which pollinators are attracted to it in preference to the many white umbellifers without such a coloured central flower isn’t clear. Perhaps someone has done a PhD to answer this question?

Step forward the inimitable Prof Dave Goulson and co-researchers! Their research appears to have got to the bottom of the question once and for all. (Sorry Charles!) 

Stace gives us three subspecies to consider: ssp. sativus, ssp. carota and ssp. gummifer. Sell and Murrell gives us ssp major too, along with two varieties each of ssp. carota and ssp. gummifer. These consist of the ‘normal’ sized plants (ssp. carota var. carota and ssp. gummifer var. gummifer) and diminutive versions of the same (ssp. carota var. nanus and ssp. gummifer var. acaulis). The latter varieties grow less than 30cm with few umbels. 

Distribution map of Daucus carota (Wild Carrot) in Sussex
Distribution of Daucus carota ssp. carota (Wild Carrot) in Sussex

Native. Sx: common, locally very common. Rough dry grassland and road verges; waste ground; cliffs and beaches. Widely scattered in a range of habitats, but most frequent on the Chalk and avoids the wetter and more acid soils. It is also common by the coast, where it is more frequent than ssp. gummifer. In the Weald most populations are on dry road verges: it has decreased there considerably, perhaps because of management change of verges.

Source: Daucus carota ssp. carota Wild Carrot, The Flora of Sussex (2018)

Ssp. gummifer is the less common coastal plant with long patent to recurved hairs on the rays and an umbel that doesn’t contract to become concave in fruit. Ssp. sativus is the agricultural carrot eaten by cartoon rabbits. 

Distribution map of Daucus carota subsp. gummifer in Sussex
Distribution of Daucus carota subsp. gummifer in Sussex

Native. Sx: rare. Coastal habitats, including shingle and cliffs. There were a few early records, but there has been doubt as to whether some were confused with the maritime form of ssp. carota, which is more frequent. W-Dod (1937) confirmed specimens from Hastings, where it was seen by several early botanists and still occurs on cliffs. A 2004 record from Itchenor seems to have been the first from west of Portslade (SU80A AGK). However, it may be under-recorded. In the BI it is locally frequent on coasts, mainly to the south and west.

Source: Daucus carota ssp. gummifer (Syme) Hook. f. Sea Carrot, The Flora of Sussex (2018)