Anethum graveolens

Erect, annual, blue-green, glabrous herb, up to 1.5 m tall, taproot up to 12 mm in diameter, all parts strongly smelling (herbaceous) especially after crushing. Stem subterete, up to 12 mm in diameter, much branched, sulcate, internodes often hollow. Leaves alternate, decompound, sheathed, sheath forming an open cone, embracing the stem at base, 1-3(-5) cm long, sulcate, petiole subterete, equally long or up to 13 cm longer than the sheath, lower leaves usually rather long petiolate, higher ones almost without petiole, blade triangular to ovate in outline, up to 30 cm x 50 cm, usually much smaller, pinnately divided into 2-6 pairs or whorls of primary pinnae and one top-pinna, each pinna again pinnately divided 2-4 times into linear or filiform, acute lobes of 1-60 mm x 0.1-1 mm. Inflorescence a compound umbel, 4-16 cm in diameter, peduncle up to 30 cm long, bracts and bracteoles usually absent, primary rays 5-35 per umbel, 1-10 cm long, unequal in length, longest ones at the outside of the umbel, secondary rays 3-35 per umbellet, 1-15 mm long, flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, some central ones often remaining rudimentary, protandrous (usually the styles and stigmas becoming fully developed after shedding of the corolla and stamens), calyx vestigial, sometimes 5 small teeth present on top of ovary, petals 5, distinct, subovate in outline, up to 1.5 mm x 1 mm, top strongly inflexed and notched, yellow, stamens 5, filaments about 1.5 mm long, yellow, pistil with inferior, bilocular ovary and a fleshy, conical stylopodium bearing 2 spreading styles about 0.5 mm long. Fruit a lens-shaped schizocarp, 2.5-6 mm x 2-4 mm, light or dark brown with a whitish to pale brown margin, splitting at maturity into 2 one-seeded mericarps which are attached at their top to an erect thin carpophore, mericarp flat, usually with 3 longitudinal prominent ridges and 2 flat, wing-like commissural ridges, on the commissural side, usually 2 dark brown longitudinal vittae, and on the dorsal side, between each 2 ridges, one vitta, the fruits are crowned by the persistent stylopodium and styles. Seed with testa adnate to the mericarp. Seedling with epigeal germination, hypocotyl 5-25 mm long, cotyledons opposite, linear, 15-50 mm x 1-2 mm, entire.