294 FLORA HOMCOPATHICA. 
streaked with reddish or brownish purple. Leaves large, 
spreading, repeatedly compound, of a deep, shining green. 
Leaflets egg-shaped, closely and sharply pinnatified. Petioles 
long, furrowed, dilated, and sheathing at the base. Uzmbels 
terminal, very numerous, upright, compound, occasionally at- 
tended by one or two simple axillary ones, all many-rayed and 
smooth. General involucrums of several short, egg spear-shaped 
leaves, which are membranous at. their edges. Partial ones 
(tnvolucels) of about three spear-shaped leaves, which are all 
directed to one side, and much shorter than the umbellules, a 
character which will distinguish this from the Aithusa cynapium, 
in which the umbellules are shorter than the involucels (see fig. 
of Aithusa, pl. 2). Flowers numerous, white, all prolific ; the 
outermost slightly irregular. Fruit abundant, egg-shaped, 
slightly compressed, furrowed; the ridges crenated. Carpels with 
five crenated ridges, three on the back, and two on the margins. 
The Conium maculatum may be distinguished from other 
umbelliferous plants by the following characters. ‘The smooth 
stem, spotted with purplish spots; the smooth, dark, and 
glossy green colour of the lower leaves; the general involucre 
of from three to seven leaflets; the partial involucre of three 
leaflets; the fruit with undulated, crenated, primary ridges. 
The whole herb, when bruised, has a disagreeable smell (com- 
pared by some to the odour of mice, by others to that of fresh 
cantharides). Hemlock has been confounded not unfrequently 
with the wild celery (Cherophyllum sylvestre); this, however, 
may be easily distinguished by the stem, which is rough and 
without spots; the seeds also are not striated. It may also 
be confounded with the ASthusa cynapium and Anthriscus 
vulgaris. The Athusa is smaller; there is no general in- 
volucre; there are three long, narrow, unilateral, pendulous 
leaflets, comprising the partial involucre ; and there is entire 
absence of the peculiar disagreeable smell in the leaves. The 
Anthriscus vulgaris, or Common Beaked Parsley, is known from 
Hemlock by the paler colour and slight hairiness of the /eaves ; 
