Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Description of the plant

 
• The plant is a smooth, erect annual herb, 30-90 cm high, with conspicuously enlarged nodes and hollow internodes. The stems are vertically ridged. The leaves are pinnately compound and often decompound. The lower leaves are broad with serrately-lobed margins.
• The upper leaves are finely cut with linear lobes. The petiole is often swollen, even, hollow at the base and sheathing the stem. The leaf arrangement is alternate. The plant comes to the flowering stage in about 45-60 days after sowing.
• The flowers are small, white or pinkish in compound terminal umbels. There are 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens and 2 carpels which are free with an epigynous ovary. The fruit is a schizocarp, globular, yellow in colour with brown ribs. The size of the seed is about 3 mm in diameter and ripe seeds are aromatic.
• At dehiscence, the 2 carpels called mericarps separate, each containing a single seed with a copious endosperm and a minute embryo. Anatomically, in a transverse section, on the mericarp, vittae (oil glands) and vascular bundles can be seen. Coriander is a diploid with 2n=22.
• Similarities in chromosome number and morphology are reported in variants. However, variants having somatic nucleus with 2n=15, 23, 24, 25-27 chromosomes are also prevalent. The structural alterations of chromosomes is thought to have contributed to the evolution of the different strains within the species.
• A good deal of variability is seen for most biometric characters. Environmental factors also play a significant role in the expression of yield and related characteristics.