UMBELLIFER^ 123 



indehiscent carpels (mericarps) separated by a commis- 

 sure, and each containing a single seed ; the pericarp often 

 deeply furrowed and furnished with vittae or oil-glands ; 

 leaves almost always deeply and compoundly divided, and 

 with dilated leaf-stalk enclosing the stem. A very large 

 order, belonging chiefly to the cooler parts of the Northern 

 and Western Hemisphere; but there are comparatively few 

 alpine species. Owing to the many characters which are 

 common to the whole order, the distinctions between the 

 genera and species often depend on minute points. 



Tribe Hydrocotyle^. — Umbels simple or flowers 

 very few ; fruit compressed laterally ; commissure narrow ; 

 vitt^ o or obscure. 



I. Hydrocotyle, L. 



Flowers small, very few; leaves entire or only lobed. 

 Not alpine. 



H. vulgaris, L., Pennywort; with orbicular peltate 

 leaves and minute pinkish-green flowers; marshes and 

 bogs. 



Tribe Sanicule^. — Umbels simple or very irregularly 

 compound ; fruit subterete or compressed dorsally ; com- 

 missure broad ; vittae o or obscure. Genera 2-5. 



2. Sanicula, L. 



Umbels small, crowded, nearly globular, with both 

 general and partial involucre ; calyx - teeth as long as 

 petals ; petals minute, deeply notched, with long inflexed 



