CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA. 
Frurr. Hither dry achenia, or baccate or follicular. Embryo 
minute, at the base of horny or fleshy albumen. 
Seeps. Numerous. 
THE SECONDARY CHARACTERS. 
Cimiciruca. Sepals, four—five. Petals, three—eight, some- 
times wanting. Stamens, indefinite or numerous. Anthers, in. 
trorse. -Follicles, one—eight, oblong, many seeded. 
Sepals, four or five. Petals, three to five, concave or unguiculate (sometimes by 
abortive growth fewer or none if the genus Macrorrys is included. Carpels, one to 
eight, follicle like, many seeded. 
THE SPECIFIC CHARACTERS, 
Cimictruea Racemosa.. Leaves, ternately decompound. 
Leaflets, ovate oblong, incisely serrate. Racemes, very long. 
Petals, two, forked slender. Style, one. Capsule, follicular 
dry, dehiscent, ovate. 
Leaves, decompound. Leaflets, oblong-ovate, gash-toothed. Racemes, in wand-like 
spikes. Capsules, ovate. 
THE ARTIFICIAL CHARACTERS, 
Crass Poryanprra. Siamese, twenty. or more, arising from 
the receptacle (hypogynous). Orver Di-Penracynia. Leaves 
never peltate. Herbs, with acrid, colorless juice. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
The Black Snake Root is common all over the United States 
from Maine to Florida, Louisiana and Missouri, growing in open 
woods and hill sides. It flowers in June and July, when its 
long, white racemes are very conspicuous. ‘The plant is of east 
culture. It has a heavy, unpleasant smell when handled, anda 
Gisagrecable, nauseous taste. 
“There are several varieties of this genus, but they a are not 
sufficiently distinct to require notice, and they continue to inter- 
__ change their species according to the different views of botanists. 
‘This plant was placed in the genus Actm by ‘Linneus, and 
= me: Pursh to Crncrrvea, also a Linnean genus, in this 
not agro with the characters 0 of the latter, better than with 
