Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Daucus carota L.

Family

Apiaceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Umbelliferae (South Australia)

Common Names

carrot, common carrot, lace-flower, Queen Anne's lace, wild carrot

Origin

Native to Europe, south-western Asia, western China and northern Africa (i.e. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia).

Naturalised Distribution

This species has been recorded in all states of Australia (i.e. it is naturalised in south-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, south-eastern South Australia and south-western Western Australia). It has a relatively scattered distribution, but is common around the heavily populated areas of southern Australia.

Notes

The wild form of the cultivated vegetable carrot (Daucus carota), is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria, Western Australia and some parts of New South Wales (e.g. in the Bega Valley Shire). Though it is primarily a weed of roadsides, disturbed sites and agricultural areas, it was recently listed as a priority environmental weed in one Natural Resource Management region. It spreads into disturbed natural communities and can also occasionally invade less disturbed native vegetation.