Carrot

Carrot
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Apiaceae
Genus:	Daucus
Species:	D. carota
Subspecies:	D. c. subsp. sativus
Trinomial name
Daucus carota subsp. sativus (Hoffm.) Schübl. & G. Martens

The carrot (pronounced CARE-ot) is a type of root vegetable and a plant. There are different types of carrot. The Latin name of the plant is usually given as Daucus carota. The plant has an edible, orange (crossbred), purple, white, red, or yellow root, and can grow white flowers. Wild carrots grow naturally in Eurasia. Domesticated carrots are grown for food in many parts of the world.

Carrots are grown in the ground, and carrots roots are a common edible vegetable. After cleaning, the roots may be eaten raw or cooked. They are served as part of many dishes.

In Portugal, carrot jam (or Doce de Cenoura in Portuguese) is a speciality.

Carrots are biennial- they take two years to complete their life cycle. In the first year, a carrot will use energy to grow. In the second year, a carrot will grow flowers.

If you eat a lot of carrots for a long time, you can get carotenemia- a medical condition that turns your skin orange. This condition can be fixed.

Images

• 
  Raw carrots
• 
  Carrots can come in different colors
• 
  What they look like before being used for cooking.

Nutrition

Carrots are a moderate source of beta carotene, biotin, vitamin K1, vitamin B6, and potassium. Along with beta-carotene, carrots also have carotenoids another antioxidant helpful to enhance immunity functions and decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases, degenerative diseases and different types of cancers.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daucus carota.

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