Coriander, Coriandrum sativum, is an erect annual herb in the family Apiaceae. The leaves of the plant are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. It is a soft, hairless plant. The flowers are produced in small umbels and are white or very pale pink in color with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer than those pointing towards it.