Umbel

For the computer science ontology, see UMBEL.

An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. Umbels can be simple or compound. The secondary umbels of compound umbels are known as umbellules.

Umbels are a characteristic of plants such as carrot, parsley, dill, and fennel in the family Apiaceae; ivy, aralia and fatsia in the family Araliaceae; and onion (Allium) in the family Alliaceae. A compressed cyme is called umbelliform if it resembles an umbel.

Gallery

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  Involucrate umbels of Primula veris.

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  Umbel of a wild carrot Daucus carota (Apiaceae)

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  An umbel on Fatsia japonica (Araliaceae)

Further reading

• Hinderer, Walter; Noé, Wolfgang; Seitz, Hanns Ulrich (1983). "Differentiation of metabolic pathways in the umbel of Daucus carota". Phytochemistry 22 (11): 2417–2420. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(83)80131-9. ISSN 00319422. 
• Toben, H.-M.; Rudoph, K (1996). "Pseudomonas syringae pv. coriandricola, Incitant of Bacterial Umbel Blight and Seed Decay of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) in Germany". Journal of Phytopathology 144 (4): 169–178. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0434.1996.tb01510.x. ISSN 0931-1785. 
• Peterson, L. E.; Clark, R. J.; Menary, R. C. (1993). "Umbel Initiation and Stem Elongation in Fennel(Foeniculum vulgare)Initiated by Photoperiod". Journal of Essential Oil Research 5 (1): 37–43. doi:10.1080/10412905.1993.9698168. ISSN 1041-2905.