Carum

...A biennial herb of the Apiaceae family whose fruit is used as a spice. Native to Europe, it is said to have been cultivated since the Stone Age. The root is about as thick as a finger. It is yellow and fleshy, similar in shape and taste to carrots, and is considered a vegetable. It is 30-60cm tall and hairless. The leaves at the bottom of the stem have petioles, but those at the top are pinnately lobed and the leaflets are deeply lobed and thread-like. The small white flowers bloom in large numbers in umbels in summer. The fruits are 3-7mm long, crescent-shaped, and have five ribs. The fruits contain an essential oil called carvone and are called carum berries. They are used as a substitute for fennel, as a stomachic and carminative. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "carum" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…果実を香辛料として利用するセリ科の一～二年草。ヨーロッパ原産で，石器時代から栽培したといわれる。根は指くらいの太さ。黄色，肉質で，形状，味ともにニンジンに似て，野菜とする。草丈30～60cmで無毛。茎の下部の葉は葉柄があるが，上部の葉は葉柄がなく羽状に多裂し，小葉は深裂して糸状になる。小さな花は白く，夏，散形花序に多数咲く。果実は長さ3～7mm，三日月形に湾曲し，5本の肋がある。果実はカルボンという精油を含有しカルムcarum実と呼び，ウイキョウの代用品として，健胃･駆風薬とする。…

※「carum」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報