each several germs or shoots towards the top, and is marked 

 about the base with horizontal rings, bearing there mem- 

 branous sheaths, which gradually wither away : — the 

 other or larger and edible sort, grows on the outside and 

 below those just mentioned, to the number of eight to ten, 

 besides small ones, and descend into the earth ; the largest 

 measures eight or nine inches long, by two, or two and a 

 half inches in diameter, and is nearly of the same circum- 

 ference throughout, tapering off suddenly, and sending out 

 a few small fibres at the extremity. Their surface is nearly 

 smooth, and covered with a thin pellicle, marked across 

 with transverse scars, like the roots of carrots. These latter 

 are called " Hijos," i. e. sons, in Bogota, and are the roots 

 generally brought to table, being more tender and more 

 delicate in flower than the main root or " Madre," mother. 

 (Bancr.J Stem erect, two to four feet high, glabrous, 

 branched, rounded and striated, green, often streaked with 

 purple. Leaves, those arising from the root, six to nine 

 inches long, (independent of the petiole,) broadly ovate in 

 their circumscription, pinnated with five ovato-acuminate 

 pinnae, which are deeply and irregularly pinnatifid, the lower 

 pair almost again pinnated, incised and coarsely serrated, 

 the segments acuminated. The colour is a dark green, 

 shining, paler beneath : the serratures yellowish. Petiole 

 about as long, or longer than the leaf, sheathing and mem- 

 branous at the base. The stem-leaves are gradually smaller 

 and less compound upwards, alternate, with short petioles, 

 the uppermost ones sessile and opposite. Umbels mostly 

 terminal. Partial umbels small, with small inconspicuous 

 flowers : their Involucre, consisting of from two to eight 

 small setaceous, simple bracteas, mostly on one side of the 

 umbellule. Blossoms of two kinds, those in the centre of the 

 umbel are either altogether imperfect, or they bear stamens 

 only, having a flat disk in the centre. Filaments at first in- 

 curved, purplish. Anthers pale green, at length white. Flow- 

 ers of the circumference on longer pedicels, bearing stamens 

 and pistil. Calyx none. Petals five, (as in the male fl° we ^j 

 erect, not spreading in our specimens, oval, with an incurved 

 point, and an elevated line, or fraenum within, of a brown- 

 ish-purple colour. The fruit I have only seen imperfect, 

 but apparently fully formed : it is oblong, laterally com- 

 pressed, each carpel (or mericarp of Decandolle) having 

 five longitudinal, equal, rather obtuse ribs, which are even, 

 not wrinkled as in Conium. The styles are nearly as long 

 as the fruity erect or slightly diverging, dilated at the base. 



