Taxonomy, origin and importance of the Apiaceae family.

Apiaceae is a plant family comprising at the present time 466 genera and about 3800 species. It is distributed nearly worldwide, but is most diverse in temperate climatic areas, such as Eurasia and North America. It is quite rare in tropical humid regions where it is limited to high mountains. Mediterranean and arid climatic conditions favour high species diversification. This chapter provides information on the taxonomy and history, as well as economic importance, properties and uses of the Apiaceae family.