LXVII. UMBELLIFERiE. 



283 



desolations of autumn and winter, this alone puts forth its yellow blossoms. 

 The small branches were formerly used for " divining rods," to indicate the 

 presence of the precious metals and of deep springs of water, and there are even 

 at this day, persons who deem a denial of these virtues to the witch hazel, an 

 offence little short of heresy. 



Order LXVII. UMBELLIFER^.— Ujibellifers. 



St. herbaceous, hollow, furrowed. 



Lvs. usually divided, simple or compound, with sheathing petioles. 



Fls. arranged in umbels, mostly white, often yellow, pink, blue, or greenish. 



Cat adhering to the ovary, entire or Stoothed. 



Cor.— Petals 5, usually inflected at the point, imbricate in sstivation. 



Sta. 5, alternate with the petals and inserted with them upon the disk. 



Ova. inferior, 2-celled, surmounted by the fleshy disk which bears the stamens and petals. 



Sty. 2, distinct, or united at their thickened bases. Stlg. simple. _ .... 



Fr. dry, consisting of2 coherent carpels, separating from each other by their faces (.commmure) into two 



halves (tnerocarps) . ,...-. u •.. 



Carpophore,— the slender, simple, or forked axis by which the carpels are borne, cohering to it by the 



feces of the commissure. . , ,.,,.,■ •,,.., 



Ribs.— A definite number of ridges traversing the carpels, the larger ones (pnmary) alternating with Uie 



smaller (secondary). , . , ^ ,_ • • . 



Vis««.— Little linear receptacles of colored volatile oil, imbedded in the substance of the pericarp, just 



beneath the interv'als of the ribs and the commissure. 

 Genera 267, species 1500.— This is a vast and well defined natural order, native of damp places, way- 

 sides, groves, &c., in the cool parts of the world. Very few are found in tropical countries except upon 

 the mountains. 



Prope«!(» aromatic, stimulant and carminative, depending upon a volatile oil residing in the vittse of 

 the fruit, in the roots, <fcc. The herbage is frequently pervaded by an acrid, narcotic principle, rendering 

 it very poisonous. Of this nature is the Conium maculatura (hemlock), Gicuta virosa, jEthusa Cynapium 

 (.fools parsley) , besides many others which have, at least, a suspicious character. But the fruit is never 

 poisonous, and is usually stimulant and aromatic, as caraway, anise, dill, coriander, &c. Even the roots 

 and herbage of other species are wholesome and nutritive, as the carrot, parsnep, sweet cisely, celery 

 and Archangelica. The gum-resin, assafaetida, exudes from incisions in the Ferula of Persia; the gum 

 ffaZionwrn is the product of Galbanum officinale, an Indian species. .,,„,, ^ , , , . , 

 The genera of the Umbellifera; are numerous, and not easily distinguished. , The characters by which 

 De CandoUe has more successfully than any other author divided this order mto tribes and genera, are 

 chiefly founded upon the number and development of the ribs, the presence or absence of the vitta, and 

 the form of the albumen, particularly at the commissure. These parts, therefore, minute as they are, wiU 

 lequire the special attention of the student. 



FIG. 46.-1. Zizia aurea, with its compound, naked umbel, &c. 2. A flower enlareed. 3. The fruit 

 with its filiform ribs and two persistent styles. 4. Cross section, showing the two cari)cls with the vitijo 

 and flat commissure. 5. Umbel of Osmorhiza longistylis in fruit. 6. A flower enlarged. 7. The fruit 

 with the merocarps separating from the base and supported by the bifid carpophore. 8. Surmit of the 

 fniit of O. hrevistylis. 9. Fruit of Conium maculatura, with the undulatecrenulate ribs. 10. Cross sec- 

 tion, showing the grooved commissure and involute albumen. II. Radiant flower of Coriaiidrum 

 12. Vertical section of the globose fruit, showing the minute embryo. 



