nMBELLIFER^. 



154 



SANICDLA. 



Vumloclc), Cicuta virosa, CEthusa Cvnapium {fool's parsley), besides many otliers 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 herb- 

 age of other species are wholesoirie and nutritive, as the carrot, parsnip, sweet cisely, 

 celer>' and Areli angelica. The gum-resin, assafatida, exudes from incisions in the Ferula 

 of Persia ; the gum gaWanum is the product of Galbanum officinale, an Indian species. 



The genera of the Umbelliferre are numerous, and not easily distingnislied. The char- 

 acters by which DeCandolle has more successfully than any other author divided this or- 

 der into tribes and genera, are chiefly founded upon the number and development of the 

 ribs, the presence or absence of the vittm, and the form of the albumen, particularly at the 

 commissure. These parts therefore, minute as they are, will require the special attention 

 of tlie student. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 

 I. ORTHOSPERMA. Mbumen (seeds) flat on the inner face. 



< Leaves peltate or cordate, Hydrocotyle. 1 

 J Fr. not prickly: 1 Leaves linear, . . . Crantzia. 

 ' Umbels simple ; ( Fruit clothed with hooked prickles, . . SanicuUx. 



' Involu.many-lvd., Ckuta. 

 t Livol.Oor 

 \ minute ; 



Umbels 



Flowers 



white ; [ compound; [ comprsed. 



' Fruit evid- 

 ently com- 

 pressed 



Fruit 

 ;carcely 



'on the J ; 



sides; ' Involucre ' 



15 

 1 



Involucels few-lvd. Cryptotmnia. 4 



Involucels wanting, Cnrum. 1(5 



of entire bracts, Siiim. 3 



of cleft bracts, Disr.oplcura. 20 



Margin of fruit I Stem slender, ArcMmora. V2 



on the I singly-winged; ( Stem stout, Heradeum. 14 



back; ( Margin of fruit doubly-winged, Archangelica.'il 



Involucre ( Involucel3-lvd. JEthusa. 10 



f not { or 1 — .3-lvd ; | Involu. 5-7-lvd. Coniosdinum.\9 



ibrstly, ( Involucre 4 — 6-leaved, 

 clothed with bristles. 



Flowers 

 yellow ; 



I Fruit coittracted on the sides, . 

 I minute ; . . . j Fruit not contracted on the sides, 

 I very large ; fruit compressed on the sides, . 



I Ribs winged, 

 f on the sides. | Ribs rouiided 

 Involucels ; fruit compressed ; ( on the back ; seeds flat, 



f Involucels 



Ligwiticum. 



Dmiais. 



Zizia. 



Thaspium. 



Biiplexirum. 



Aphim. 



Anethum. 



Pastinaca. 



II. CAMPYLOSPERM.E. Albumen (seeds) involute at the edges, forming a longi- 

 tudinal furrow on the inner face. 

 ( linear-clavate. with bristly ribs. Flowers white ; umbel few-rayed, Osmorhiza. 22 

 Fruit I ovate, compressed at the sides, with smooth ribs. Flowers white. Conium. 23 



III. cTELOsPERMiE. Alhumcn (seeds) involute at the base and apex. 



Erigenia. 24 

 . Coriandrum.'ia 



(of a single, bipinnatifid leaf; root tuberous, . 

 Involucre ( of a single subulate leaf, or wanting ; ribs obsolete, 



Suborder 1, ORTHOSPERMA. 



The inner surface of the seeds and albumen flat, or nearly so. 



1. SANI'CULA. 



Umbels nearly simple, capitate ; flowers of the centre abor- 

 tive ; fruit solid, subglobose, armed with hooked prickles. 



Lat. sanare, to cure ; wonderful virtues were formerly imputed to the San- 

 icle as a vulnerary. Fls. polygamous, the outer without stamens, fertile; the 

 inner barren. Cal. of the fertile fls. larger than of the barren, 5-Ieaved, acute. 

 Pet. of barren fls. lanceolate, channelled, inflected; of the fer. deciduous or 0. 

 Fil. hair-like, twice as long as pet. Ribs of the carpels 0. Vittaj numerous. 

 — Perennial jierbs. Flowers white or yellow. ^ 



S. Maryl.\'ndica. 



Leaves 5-parted, digitate ; leaflets or segments oblong, cut-serrate ; staminate 

 flou-crs numerous, stallied, perfect ones sessile ; teeth of the c.alijx entire. Low 

 woods and thickets. Stem erect, 1 foot high, smooth, furrowed, bearing a few 



