PENTANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Meum. 85 



In Westmoreland, the north of Yorkshh-c, and Merionethshire. 

 Ray. In Lancashire 3 and abundantly in the Highhmds of Scot- 

 land. 



Perennial. May, June. 



Root thick and woody, crowned with tlie fibrous remains of old 

 footstalks. Stems erect, from 1 to 2 feet high, round, hollow, 

 leafy, striated, not much branched. Lenvca oblong, doubly pin- 

 nate, dark green, smooth ; leaflets opposite, in numerous, ca- 

 pillary, very delicate, pointed segments. Foo f stalks dilated and 

 membranous at the base. Umbe/s erect, of numerous general 

 and partial rays. General hracteas fe\v, linear or lanceolate, 

 mostly three-cleft, often wanting ; partial more numerous, either 

 entire or cut. Fl. numerous, yellowish-white, occasionally red- 

 dish. Petals sometimes inversely heart-shaped, but s'i'ghtly. 

 Fruit l-4th of an inch long, somewhat curved, smooth. 



The whole plant, and especially the root, is highly aromatic, with 

 a flavour like Melilot, which it communicates to milk and butter, 

 from the cows feeding upon its herbage, in spring. A strcwig 

 infusion of this herb is said to give cheese the taste and odour 

 of the Swiss Chapziegar. See Engl. Bot. 



This plant, concerning whose genus botanists have been so various 

 and uncertain, was thought by Tournefort very nearly akin to 

 his Fijcniculuni, which comprises, among many other things, our 

 common, or sweet. Fennel. The presence of hracteas forms the 

 chief objection, as to habit 3 but this is rather an instance of 

 their uncertainty for a generic character. 



2. M. Foemculam. Common Fennel. 



Leaves trij)ly pinnate; leaflL-t;? awl-sha})ct], drooping. Brae- 

 teas none. 



M. Foeniculum. Spreng. Prodr.?>2. 



Anethum F(jL'niculum. Li)iu. Sp. PI. 377 . If'illd. v. I . ]i6[). Fl. 



Br. 329. Engl. Bot. v. 17. t. 1208. Mill, lllustr. t. 13. U'oodv. 



Med. Bot. t. IGO. Ehrh. PL Off. 213. 

 Famiculum. Matlh. Falgr. v. 2. 13[). f. Camcr. Epit.:)34. f. Fuchs. 



Hist. 501. /. Riv. Pentap. Irr. t. O) . 

 F. n. 760. Hall. Hist. v. 1.333. 

 F. dulce. Bank. Pin. 147. 

 F. vulgare. Uaii Si/n.2\7. (ier. Em. 1032./. Gartn. v. 1. 105. 



On chalky clifts, very plentiful. 



Biennial. July, August. 



Root tap-shaped. Ilcrh smooth, of a dec]), glaucous ;;-iTen. Stem 

 3 or 4 feet high, erect, copiously branched, solid, round, striated, 

 smooth, leafy. Leaves triply pinnate ; le<i/lets thread-like, acute, 

 long, more or less dro()j)ing. FootstaUcs with a broad, firm, 

 sheathing base. Uinhrls terminal, very broad, flat, of very nu- 

 merous, smooth, angular, rather stout, KINS; \\\v fxirt'ial rays 



