CARROT FAMILY 



Pollinated by flies and bees. Some flowers are perfect, 

 others staminate. In the perfect flowers the anthers ma- 

 ture before the stigmas. 



The delicate fern-like leaves of the Sweet Cicely in 

 early spring carpet the forest floor in open sunny 

 woodlands. The thick anise-scented roots are attrac- 

 tive to children and 

 to rabbits, but the 

 roots of so many of 

 the wild UmbellifercB 

 are poisonous and 

 children should be 

 w^arned to eat none 

 y^ of them. The flower- 

 ing umbel is small 

 and inconspicuous, 

 there is no appear- 

 ance of a flat-topped 

 cluster, such as usu- 

 ally distinguishes the 

 family of Umbellif- 

 ercB. The chief 

 beauty of the plant 

 lies in the foliage, 

 which, abundant in 

 April, in May often overshadows other plants and 

 virtually covers the forest floor. 



The tiny blossom has five white petals and a very 

 short style, w^hich gives the plant its specific name. 

 This character is best noted by means of a lens. 



The seeds are long and slender, armed with short 

 bristles, which enable them to cling to the passerby 

 and so ride with two legs or four to a home. 



i66 



Downy Sweet Cicely. Osmorrhiza brevisiylis 



