172 WILD FLOWERS OF 



But again the woods and fields tempt us to look 

 out there. In May, many meadows exhibit a peculiar 

 feature in the abundance of mnbelliferous plants, 

 whose rank herbage covers them. This natural family 

 is distinguished by the flowers being always in umbels, 

 (the pedicels all proceeding from a central point like 

 the frame- work of an umbrella,) simple or compound ; 

 the styles are two, mostly persistent on the fruit, 

 which consists of two carpels, separable from a com- 

 mon axis to which they adhere by their face or 

 commissure. They are herbs generally with hollow 

 furrowed stems, often dangerous or poisonous, except 

 blanched as in the celery, but the fruit is aromatic 

 and pungent. The common Hemlock may give a good 

 idea of the group. At this period the May-Weed 

 (Anthriscus sylvestris), is distinguished among the 

 Umbelliferce, often completely covering and whitening 

 over whole fields especially in the vicinity of coppices, 

 where even the ebon robe of night becomes em- 

 broidered with a broad border of silver. Another less 

 conspicuous species, A. vulgaris, with smaller flowers 

 and tri-pinnate leaves, may be seen under hedges 

 often near to towns and villages ; and the Gout-weed 

 (^Egopodiimpodagraria), is observable on river banks 

 and moist waste places very socially clustered in its 

 selected localities. The Sulphur-weed "Water-drop- 

 wort ((Enanthe peucedanifolia) , now commences flow- 

 ering in wet meadows, its leaves all linear, and 

 distinguished by the sessile-elliptical tubers of its 

 roots. This has been confounded by most botanists 

 till recently, with (E. Laclienalii, more of a coast 

 plant, whose tubers are vermiform and very much 

 longer. The latter flowers in August and September. 



