Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) flowers. This plant, also known as wild carrot, is the ancestor of the cultivated carrot. It is distributed around the globe, growing in sunny meadows. Its roots can be eaten fresh or cooked like cultivated carrots, or dried and ground to make a coffee-like beverage. It is used in herbal medicine as a diuretic and its seeds can be pressed to make an essential oil that is used in both perfumery and food flavourings.