Queen Anne’s Lace is the common name given to the wild carrot, considered an invasive weed in many parts of the world, though many treasure the fine white inflorescence. Wikipedia says this:
Wild carrot was introduced into North America by European settlers and became common; it is often known as “Queen Anne’s lace” there. Anne, Queen of Great Britain, is the queen after whom the plant is reputedly named, though as a plant name it is not known before 1895, 180 years after her death. It is so called because the inflorescence resembles lace, prominent in fine clothing of the day; the red flower in the centre is said to represent a droplet of blood where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace.
The wild carrot and the cultivated carrot are subspecies of the same species, Daucus carota.
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