What is a type of inflorescence characteristic parsley fennel carrot dill?

Parsley, fennel, carrot, and dill all belong to the family Apiaceae (also known as Umbelliferae). The characteristic inflorescence for this family is a compound umbel.

Here's what that means:

* Umbel: A simple umbel is a cluster of flowers where all the stalks (pedicels) arise from a single point, like the spokes of an umbrella.

* Compound umbel: In a compound umbel, each individual stalk branching from the main stem also has its own umbel, forming a cluster of umbels. This gives the overall appearance of a flat-topped flower cluster with many small flowerheads.

So, the next time you see a bunch of small white flowers clustered together on a plant like parsley, you know it's a compound umbel, a defining characteristic of the Apiaceae family.