ABSTRACT

The genus Pimpinella belongs to the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) and includes about 90 species. The dominant features of the family are the umbellate inflorescence, the smaller flower size, and the specialized fruit, consisting of two one-seeded mericarps suspended from a common stalk, the carpophore. According to the following characteristic features, the genus Pimpinella is divided into two sections:

1. Section Anisum Ludwig DC.: Ovary and fruit hairy; plants annual and biennial; both medicinal and agricultural plants belong to this section; for example, P. anisum L.