PENTANDRIA—DIGYNIA. Myrrhis. 49 



Cicutaria vulgaris. Rail Sij)2. 207i 



Myrrhis. Fuchs. Hist, 524. t 525. Dalech. Hist. 76\.f. 



In hedges, and the borders of pastures and fields^ in a rather fertile 

 soil, very common. 



Perennial. April, May. 



Root spindle-shaped, a little milky. Stem about a yard high, 

 branched, leafy, round, striated, hollow, somewhat swelled be- 

 low the joints, especially when full grown ; the lower part downy j 

 upper sleek, and generally devoid of jjubescence. Leaves triply 

 pinnate J leaflets ovate,pinnatifid, rough-edged. f7m6e/5 smooth ; 

 the partial ones drooping more or less when young ; quite erect 

 when in full bloom, with about 5 ovate, membranous, densely 

 fringed, deflexed bracteas to each. Petals unequal in the mar- 

 ginal Jiowers, which alone are prolific. Fr. lanceolate, with a 

 deep channel at each side, blackish, polished, quite smooth and 

 even, with a short, angular, furrowed beak. Bases of the styles 

 almost globular, seated on a scarcely discernible floral recep- 

 tacle. 



The whole herb, having the flavour of carrots, is eaten by domestic 

 cattle, and is reported to be very grateful to rabbits. The snow- 

 w'hlte ^flowers, some of the earliest of their tribe, plentifully adorn 

 the hedges, and bushy margins of fields, in spring, and announce 



■ the approach of summer, 



145. MYRRHIS. Cicely. 



Tourn. t. 1G6. Moris, v. 3. 301. Hall. Hist. v. 1. 329. Spreng. 

 Prodr. 28. Gcertn. t. 23. 



Species of Scandix and Chcerophyllum. ZAnn. 



Fl. imperfectly separated; the innermost barren. Cal. none. 

 Pet. somewhat unequal, uniform, inversely heart-shaped, 

 •with an inflexcd taper point. Filam. thread-shaped, 

 spreading, as long as the petals, or longer. Anth. round- 

 ish. Genu, inferior, linear-oblong, somewhat club-shaped, 

 al)ru})t, furrowed, smooth, slightly compressed. Shjics 

 awl-shaped, a little spreading, very tumid, and almost 

 globose, at the base. Stigmas obtuse, or slightly capitate. 

 Floral receptacle wanting. Fruit linear-lanceolate, a litde 

 curved, deeply furrowed, without a beak, altogether smooth, 

 except, in some instances, a minute bristly roughness at the 

 upper part, either of tlie furrows or of the angles, which 

 latter are either acute and very j)romincnt, or obtuse and 

 (hhited ; the sunnnit crowned with the thick bases ol' the 

 s])reading, ])ermanent slijhs. 



Perennial or biennial herbs, aromatic, })ungent or sweet. 

 Stem erect, branched, leafy, either rougli or suiooth ; often 



vol.. II. K 



