Hydrocotyle 



UMBELLIFERAE 



Hydrocotyle 



131. UMBELLIFERAE Carrot Family W&Pr (San Hsing K'o; 



Umbrella-form Family) 



Herbs, often aromatic or rank-scented, and with hollow stems: lvs. alternate, 

 usually lobed, dissected, or divided, and usually sheathing at the base: fls. small, 

 perfect or polygamous, usually in simple or compound, often involucrate umbels; 

 calyx tube united with the inferior ovary, sometimes bearing 5 teeth; petals and 

 stamens 5, on a disk above the ovary, surrounding the base of the two styles (stylo- 

 podium): fr. (a schizocarp) of 2 dry indehiscent compressed seed-like carpels (meri- 

 carps), generally separating from each other at maturity, and hanging from a slender 

 prolongation of the axis (carpophore), each usually with 5 primary ribs and often 4 

 secondary ones; longitudinal canals containing aromatic oils commonly occur between 

 the ribs. Some 300 genera with 2,500 species, in all parts of the world; at least 25 

 genera and several hundred species in China. 



Key to the Genera 



A. Prostrate herbs with simple stipulate lvs.: fls. in small axillary 



simple subcapitate umbels 1 . Hydrocotyle 



AA. Erect or decumbent herbs with simple compound cleft or dissected 

 estipulate lvs. 

 B. Fr. armed with hooks or prickles. 



Infl. more or less dichotomously branched: fr. ribs indistinct 2. Saniculn 

 Infl. of definite compound umbels: fr. ribs distinct; both 

 primary and secondary ribs developed. 

 Involucre of simple bracts or wanting: fr. compressed 

 laterally; the secondary ribs hidden by prickles or 



tubercles occupying the intervals 3. Torilis 



Involucre of multi-cleft leaf like bracts: fr. compressed 



dorsally; the secondary ribs prickly-winged 4. Daucus 



BB. Fr. glabrous to hispid, but not armed with hooks or prickles. 

 C. Fr. terete or lightly compressed either laterally or dorsally, 

 not prominently flattened dorsally. 



D. Lvs. all simple and entire 5. Bupleurum 



DD. Lvs. variously toothed dissected or compound, occasion- 

 ally reduced to linear phyllodes. 

 E. Fr. several times longer than broad. 



Fr. hispid, bearing conspicuous tails at base .... 6. Osmorhiza 

 Fr. glabrous, blunt at base. 



Fr. conspicuously beaked: involucel conspicuous 7. Anthriscus 



Fr. beakless: involucel usually wanting 8. Cryptotaenia 



EE. Fr. not more than thrice as long as broad. 



F. Plants annual: pericarp very thin and hard .... 9. Coriandrvm 

 FF. Plants perennial or biennial: pericarp not 

 especially hard. 

 G. Ovaries pubescent: marginal fls. radiant .. 10. Pimpinella 

 GG. Ovaries glabrous: fls. all regular. 

 H. Fls. yellow. 



Plants glaucous: involucel absent: foliage 



anise-scented 11 . Foenicidum 



Plants green: involucel present: foliage 



parsley-scented 12. Petroselinum 



HH. Fls. white to red, but never yellow. 

 I. Fr. ribs corky or slightly winged. 



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