Author: آمنه غلامی 
Carum carvi L.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Bahare Afsharnezhad and Marzieh Tabe
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at July 2024
Scientific editor: Mohammad Dadmand
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15-20% eRH, and store at -20°C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species are dormant. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds for 90 days at 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Schizocarp (schizocarp is an indehiscent dry fruit that consists of two not compressed or compressed lattraly/dorsally carpels called mericarp)
Fruit shape: Mericarps narrow ellipsoid, slightly compressed laterally, ventral side flat with visible vittae, dorsal side convex, five-ribbed. Surface valleculae, dark-brown, lusterless, ribs cream color
Fruit size: Length 2.72 to 3.64 mm, width 0.53 to 0.92 mm in an accession from Khosf, South Khorasan, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 1.3 g, which was collected and identified in 2013 by Marzieh Tabe and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession 44381.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight: 0.9 to 4.2 g
Biological features
Life form: Herbaceous, biennial or perennial, glabrous. Stems erect, 30 to 100 cm height
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence compound umbel, with 3 to 16 rays, up to 5 cm in long; umbellule with 15 white flowers. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects.
Time of flowering: Late spring to mid-summer
Time of seed ripening: Summer
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight
Geographical distribution: Europe, Iran, Caucasus, Siberia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Northwest Africa. Typus from Europe
Distribution in Iran: North, Northwest, Center and Northeast. Mostly in provinces of Azarbaijan, Khorasan and Tehran
Taxonomy
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Carum
Species: C. carvi
Common name: Caraway, meridian fennel, Persian cumin
Persian name: Zireh-e siyah
References and Links
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 1-419 pp.
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of seeds and fruits of central and East-European flora: the Carpathian Mountains region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1046 pp.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Mozaffarian V. 2007. Flora of Iran, No. 54: Umbelliferae. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 596 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
