LXVII. UMBELLIFERiE. 



283 



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

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

 I>resence 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. UMBELLIFERiE.— Umbellifers. 



St. herbaceous, hollow, furrowed. 



Lvs. usuiilly (lividod, .'iimple or compound, with sheathing petioles. 



Ft8. arran:,'cd in umbels, mostly white, often vellow, pink, blue, or greenish. 



Cal. adhering to the ovary, entire or 5-toothed. 



Cor.— Petals 5, usually inHected at the point, imbricate m a38tivation. 



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



Ova. inferior, ^celled, surmounted by the Ik-shy disk which bears the stamens and petals. 



;S7i/. "2, distinct, or united at their thickened bases. S^/g". simple. 



Fr. dry, consisting of-2 coherent carpels, set*aruting from each other by their faces (comTmsaure) mto two 



halves (merocarps). . • ^ •. u .v 



Carpophore— \hc slender, simple, or forked a-xis by which the carpels are borne, cohering to it by the 



faces of the commissure. . , ...„.- .u .u 



Ribs.—\ definite number of ridges traversing the carpels, the larger ones (primary) alternating with the 



smaller {secondary). , ^ ^ . . . 



Vittcc.—lAu\e linear receptacles of colored volatile oil, imbedded m the substance of the pericarp, just 



beneath the intervals 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 e.xcept upon 

 the mountains. 



Propfrf/e« aromatic, stimulant and carminative, depending upon a volatile oil residiiig in the vitt« of 

 the fruit, in tlie roots. <tc. The herbage is frequently pervaded by an acrid, narcotic principle, reniienng 

 it verj- poisonous. Of this nature is the Conium maculatum (hemlock), Cicuta virosa, yEthusa Lynapium 

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

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

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

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

 ira/fta««m is the product of Galbanum officinale, an Indian species. . , , ^,_ ^ , . , . , 

 The genera of the ITmbellifera- are numerous, and not easily distinguished. . The characters by which 

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

 chieflv founded upon the number and development of the ribs, the presence or absence ot the vittcB, and 

 the form of the albumen, particularly at the commissure. These parts, theretore, minute as they are, will 

 require the special attention of the student. 



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

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

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

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

 fruitof O. brevisfylis. 9. Fruit of Conium macidatum, with the undulatecrenulate ribs. 10. Cross sec- 

 tion, showing the grooved commissure and involute albumen. 11. Radiant flower of Coriandrum 

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



