G3 PENTANDRIA— DIGYNIA. CEnanthe. 



153. CENANTHE. Water-dropwort. 



Linn. Gen. }40. Juss. 22\. Fl.Br.3l7. Spreng.Prodr.37. Toum. 



t.166. Lam. t. 203. G(Ertn.t.22. 

 Phellandrium. Linn. Gen. \4d. Juss. 221. Fl. Br. 321. Toum. 



t.iei. 



Fl» more or less completely separated, or partially imperfect; 

 the outermost very irregular, abortive; the innermost 

 smaller, regular, and prolific. Cal. superior, of 5 large, 

 lanceolate, acute, somewhat unequal, permanent leaves. 

 Pet. 5, inversely heart-shaped, with inflexed points ; in 

 the fertile flowers nearly equal ; in those of the circum- 

 ference very unequal, but with equal lobes in each petal. 

 Filam. thread-shaped, longer than the corolla. Aiith. in- 

 cumbent, small, roundish. Germcii inferior, ovate-oblong, 

 furrowed. Styles awl-shaped, slender, tumid at the base; 

 in the barren fl. short and imperfect, with a greatly dilated 

 or depressed base, in the place of \heJIoral receptacle. Stig- 

 mas small, obtuse, recurved. Fruit oblong, or somewhat 

 ovate, obtuse, with a corky bark, and 3 or 5 tumid, un- 

 equal, rounded ribs, w4th narrow, deep, intermediate fur- 

 rows, in some species intermediate ribs; the summit 

 crowned with the permanent calyx, and rigid, elongated, 

 somewhat spreading, styles. Seeds ovate, with a light, 

 furrowed, more or less spongy, bark. 



Perennial, or biennial, fetid, often poisonous, aquatic herhs^ 

 with roundish, furrowed, branched, leafy, often hollow 

 and tumid, stems, and compound, much-divided leaves. 

 Umbels various, rather clumsy ; partial ones dense, finally 

 spherical, of very numerous rays, extremely short in the 

 disk. General Bracteas linear, in some cases numerous, 

 in others entirely wanting; partial numerous, narrow. 

 Cal, green, conspicuous in every stage of growth. Fl. 

 white, or pale purplish. 



1. CE.j^stulosa. Common Water-dropwort. 



Root sending forth runners. Stem-leaves pinnate, cylin- 

 drical, tubular. General bracteas mostly wanting. 



OE. fistulosa. Limi. Sp. PL 365. WiUd. u. 1 . 1140. Fl. Br. 317. 

 Eyigl. Bot. V. 6. t. 363. Hook. Scot. 91. FL Dan. t. 846. 



CE. n. 755. HalL HisL v . \ . 33\ . 



CE. aquatica. Bauh.Pin. 162. Rail Syn. 210. 



CE. aquatica triflora, caulibus fistulosis. Moris, v. 3. 289. sect. 9. 

 t.J.f.S. Rail Syn. 2]0. 



