378 UMBELLIFERZ. CLX. Arracacna. 
South America, at Santa Fe de Bogota, and of the Caraccas, 
where it is cultivated for culinary purposes under the name of 
Arracacha. Conium Arracacha, Hook. exot. fl. bot. t. 152. 
Arracécha xanthorhiza, Bancroft, l. c. who first published the 
history and uses of the plant in Alced. dict. geogr. amer. ex 
Vargas, in Koen. ann. 1. p. 400. Bancr. in rev. brit. 1826. 
Root forming large oblong tubers in cultivation. Stem 14 foot 
high. Petioles tubular. 
The first account which reached our country of this interest- 
ing. and valuable plant was published in the first volume of the 
Annals of Botany, about the year 1805, from a communication 
made to the editors of that excellent work by Mr. Vargas, a 
native of Santa Fe de Bogota, who at that period was residing 
in London. The arracacha is one of the most useful vegetables 
in that part of South America ; in some parts of the country it 
is called apio, from its resemblance to celery. The roots im- 
mediately divide into 4 or 5 branches, and each of these, if the 
soil be light, and the season favourable, will grow to the size of 
a cow's horn. This root yields a food, which is prepared in the 
same manner as potatoes, is grateful to the palate, and so easy 
of digestion, that it constitutes the chief aliment of the sick ; 
starch and pastry are made from its fecula ; and the roots, re- 
duced to a pulp enter into the composition of certain fermented 
liquors, supposed to be efficacious as tonics. In the city of 
Santa Fe, and indeed wherever it can be procured, the arracacha 
is as universally used as the potatoe is with us. The cultivation 
of this plant requires a deep black soil, that will easily yield to 
the descent of the Jarge vertical roots. It is propagated by 
planting pieces of the root, in each of which is an eye or shoot ; 
these acquire in 3 or 4 months a size sufficient for culinary pur- 
poses, though if permitted to continue 6 months in the ground, 
they attain to immense dimensions, without any injury to their 
flavour. The colour of the root is white, yellow, or purple, but 
all the varieties have the same quality. Like the potatoe, the 
arracacha does not thrive in the hotter regions of America, 
for in such parts the roots acquire no size, and are indifferent in 
flavour, and sometimes run altogether to stems. In the coun- 
tries which are there called temperate, being less hot than those 
at the foot of the Cordilleras, this vegetable sometimes succeeds; 
but never so well as in the elevated region of those mountains, 
where the medium heat is between 58° and 60° of Fahrenheit. 
Here it is that these roots grow the most luxuriant, and acquire 
the most delicious taste. Before Vargas this plant was not men- 
tioned by any other American writer, except by Alcedo, who 
notices it in a few words, at the end of his ‘ Diccionario Geo- 
graphico-historico de las Indias Occidentales O America.” Ac- 
cording to the late Baron de Schack, the arracacha is an essen- 
tial article of food, not only to the poor, but to the rich, 
throughout Santa Fe and New Granada, and is every where cul- 
tivated as carrots are with us. It is also cultivated abundantly 
in the Caraccas and the adjacent mountainous country. , 
Plants of the arracacha have been introduced to this country. 
but have not succeeded, although every situation, temperature, 
and soil have been tried; they have only produced at best a few 
leaves, and at the end of the year or less have perished alto- 
gether. Mr. Shepherd of Liverpool alone has been so fortu- 
nate as to have a few plants flowering in his garden. 
Esculent Arracacha. Fl. Ju. Jul. Cit.1823. Pl. 1 to2 ft. 
2 A. moscwa‘ra (D. C. prod. 4. p. 244.) leaves bipinnate, or 
tripinnate ; leaflets pinnatifid: lobes ovate, acutish, serrated ; 
involucrum of 1-3 jagged leaves; ribs of fruit acute. Y. F. 
Native of South America, in the province of de los Pastos, near 
Teindela, where it is called by the inhabitants Sacharachaca. 
Herb smelling of musk. Conium moschatum, H. B. et Kunth, 
nov. gen, amer. 5, p. 14. t. 420. 
CLXI. PLEUROSPERMUM. 
CLXII. Hymenorzna. 
Musk Arracacha. FI. June, July. Cit. 1824. Pl. 2 feet. 
Cult. These plants are of easy culture if kept from the frost; 
they may be either increased by seed or dividing at the root. 
CLXI. PLEUROSPE’RMUM (from mAevpor, pleuron, a rib, 
and oreppa, sperma, a seed; in allusion to the mericarps being 
furnished with a double membrane, both having ribs). Hoffm. 
umb. in preef. p. 9. lit. f. 16. 22. Koch, umb. 6. p. 457. Spreng. 
in Schultes, syst. 6. p. 39. D.C. prod. 4. p. 244.—Ligisti- 
cum species, Lin.—Physospérmum, Vela et Lag. am. nat. 2. p. 
75. and 97. but not of Cuss.—Enymonospérmum, Spreng. 
Lin. syst. Pentdndria, Digýnia. Margin of calyx 5-toothed. 
Petals obovate, entire, flat, or somewhat attenuately inflexed at 
the apex. Fruit ovate, somewhat compressed from the sides ; 
mericarps furnished with a double membrane, outer membrane 
inflated into 5 hollow winged ribs; interior one closely adnate 
to the seed, elevated into 5 smaller ribs, situated under the ex- 
terior ones; furrows of the inner membrane furnished with 1-2 
vitta each. Commissure furnished with 2 vittæ. Carpophore 
filiform, bipartite. Seed semi-lunar.—Perennial glabrous herbs. 
Leaves bipinnate; leaflets pinnatifid, cut: lobes acute. Stem 
fistular. Involucra and involucels of many foliaceous leaves. 
Flowers white. 
1 P. Austrracum (Hoffm. 1. c.) vittæ one in each furrow of 
the fruit; ribs bluntish. 2%. H. Native of the Alps of Dau- 
phiny, Provence, Switzerland, Silesia, Austria, and of the Car- 
pathian Mountains. Schultes, syst. 6. p. 457. Ligtsticum 
Austriacum, Lin. spec. 36. Jacq. austr. 151. All. pedem. t. 43. 
Ligdsticum Gmelini, Vill. dauph. 2. p. 610. t. 13. exclusive of 
the synonyme of Gmel. Ligústicum Archangélica, Geners. el 
scept. no. 252. ex Schultes. Ligust. Sprengélii, Sieb. in Spreng. 
umb. spec. 124. Physospérmum Cussòni, Lag. am. nàt. 2. p. 
97. Ligust. Hacquètii, Guss. pl. rar. 132. Athamanta 
Golaka, Hacq. pl. carn. t. 5. Athamanta Galatta, Gmel. Plant 
glabrous. Leaves ternately pinnate; leaflets pinnatifid, decur- 
rent at the base; segments cuneiform, oblong, deeply toothed. 
Leaves of involucra oval-lanceolate, entire, permanent. Umbels 
all fertile. Fruit oval, glabrous. Stems furrowed. 
Austrian Pleurospermum. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1597. Pi. 
2 to 3 feet. 
2 P. Urare’nsis (Hoffm. 1. c.) vittee one in each furrow of 
the fruit; ribs very acute. 2%. H. Native of Siberia, on the 
Ural Mountains. Ligústicum, Gmel. sib. 1. t. 45. This plant 
differs from Pleurospérmum Austriacum in the rays of the spa 
being evidently velvety when examined by a lens ; the colour 0 
the leaves is more glaucous; the petals more obtuse at the apex, 
and flat. 
Ural Pleurospermum. PI. 2 to 3 feet. f 
3 P. Kamrscna’ticum (Hoffm. 1. c.) vittæ 2 in the furrows ° 
the fruit; ribs somewhat denticulated ; membranes almost C0- 
hering between themselves. 2s. H. Native of Kamtschatka. 
Petals obovate, with somewhat undulated margins, a little oe 
flexed at the apex. A plant agreeing with this was found abou 
Irkutsk in Siberia, but differs in the leaves of the involucra being 
sometimes multifid, as is sometimes the case in P. Austraacum: 
Kamischatka Pleurospermum. PI. 2 to 3 feet. wg 
4 P. Arcuaner’sica (Led. fl. alt. 1. p. 369.) Y. H. Neng 
of Siberia. This plant is not well known. It has the ha ; 
exactly of Archangélica officinàlis, and grows m the sam 
places with it. The fruit is grey or dirty yellow. 
Archangelica-like Pleurospermum. PI. 4 to 6 feet. ‘ 
Cult. Any common soil will suit these plants; and they m y 
either be increased by dividing at the root or by seed. 
CLXII. HYMENOLÆ'NA (from ipny, hymen, a memba na 
and xatva, chlaina, a cloak ; in reference to the ribs of the 
