PENTANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Sium. 55 



permanent leaves. Fruit ovate-lanceolate, shining, minutely 

 wrinkled, with 3 narrow distant ribs at each side, and termi- 

 nating in a more strongly ribbed, and deeply furrowed, point, 

 crowned by the long, slender, nearly erect, permanent styles. 



It appears that some accidental specimens, whose roots were not 

 so deep in the ground as usual, and which might or might not 

 have several general bracteas, have been taken for li. BullocaS' 

 tanum ; but I could never meet with any such, even where they 

 have been reported to grow. The true B. Bulbocastanum how- 

 ever, figured in Fl. Dan. t. 220. Moris, sect. 9. t. 2./. 1 . Gcertn. 

 t. 140. Lob. Ic. 745./. 1. Ger. Em. 1064./. 2. Lauremb. Ap- 

 par. 148. and which is Haller's n. 783 j though its stem is occa- 

 sionally tapering and wavy at the base, as in a specimen from 

 Gerard in the Linngean herbarium ; is clearly distinguished by 

 its shorter, more abrupt, /na?, whicli is not elongated, nor more 

 furrowed, at the point, and especially by its closely reflexed 

 styles. The general bracteas are constantly present, and nu- 

 merous 3 occasionally three-cleft ; iheumbelsoi 10, 15, or 20 

 rays ; and the whole plant much larger, often having 2 stems. 

 This is Bulbocastanum majus of the Bauhins and other old au- 

 thors. Gouan has well distinguished the two species, though 

 he has strangely perverted their synonyms, and seems to have 

 misled Sprengel. 



If this should ever be found in Britain, the shorter, more abrupt 

 fruit, and reflexed styles, will infallibly ascertain it. 



147. SIUM. Water-paisnep. 



Xiwra. Ge«.138. Juss. 222. Fl.Br.ZU. Tourn.t.l62. Lam. 1. 197. 

 Gartn. t. 23 ? 



Fl. all uniform, and generally perfect. Cal. of 5 small, 

 acute, unequal leaves, often obsolete. Pet. equal, in- 

 versely heart-shaped, or obovate, with more or less of an 

 infllexed point. Filam. tli read- shaped, spreading, longer 

 than the corolla. Anth. roundish. Germ, inferior, round- 

 ish-ovate, striated. Styles c^'lindrical, more or less spread- 

 ing, moderately swelling at the base, shorter than the 

 petals, permanent. Stigmas obtuse. Fruit ovate, or or- 

 bicular, slightly compressed, furrowed, crowned with the 

 permanent styles and withered calyx, without any promi- 

 x\Q.x\\. floral receptacle. Seeds tumid, convex, each with 5 

 generally strong ribs. 



Acrid and dangerous herbs, smooth in every part, mostly 

 aquatic and perennial. Leaves oblong, scarcely more 

 than simply pinnate ; leajlets deeply seriated or divided. 

 Umbels lateral or terminal, white, Avith partial, and for 

 the most part general, bracteas. 



