UMBELLATE PLANTS. I i 



one, and five equal and perfect stamens ; so that, in tlii.- 

 example, we have the ringent flower restored to its na- 

 tural symmetry and regularity, and though this is con- 

 sequently the perfect state of the personate corolla, its 

 occurrence is so uncommon that it is hailed as a mon- 

 strosity, though the ordinary state alone is, in fact, such ! 

 Here "then, we have again, as in the irregular papilio- 

 naceous corolla, a decided tendency to the regular 

 forms of other flowers, and an additional link of affin- 

 ity with them in general ; this irregularity being only 

 a sort of mask or disguise, produced by that copious 

 source of change, abortion, and imperfection of parts. 



CHAPTER V. 



OF UMBELLATE PLANTS. 



This truly natural assemblage of plants derives its 

 name from umbella, an umbrella, in allusion to its par- 

 ticular and characteristic mode of inflorescence, or the 

 disposition of its flowers. 



The umbel may be either simple or compound : 

 when compounded, which is most usual, certain gen~ 

 eral flower stalks (as in the Parsnip and Parsley) 

 growing at the ends of the branches, divide themselves 

 circularly, like the spokes of a wheel, or the skeleton 

 of an umbrella, from a common central point, and 

 form above a round and flat-topped cluster of branch- 

 es ; each branch or partial umbel (the first being the 

 general one) will now be perceived, likewise, to divide 

 itself in a similar circular manner, the true peduncles, 

 or stalks of the flowers, then forming the umbellet or 

 lesser umbel. This primary distinction is only indic- 

 ative of others which follow, and which are equally 

 essential ; and here the situation of the germ with re- 

 2* 



