88 MEDICINAL HERBS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



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A few of the other Uinbellifeivs are not above suspicion 

 of possessing poisonous quahties. It is strange that one of 

 these should be the Wild Carrot (Daacits Carofa), the 

 root of the cultivated variety of this species being so 

 widely used as a vegetable; but the fact remains that 



white mice have been 

 killed through being 

 given the root of the 

 Wild Carrot to eat. 

 The active principle 

 in this root is a vola- 

 tile oil called piTiene. 

 The Wild Carrot may 

 be recognized by the 

 prominent ridges of 

 the fruit (fig. 54) and 

 the peculiar structure 

 of tlie bracts. Others 

 of the same nature are 



the Water Parsnip 



{Siiivi 



latifolmm) 



and Beaked Parslev 



(Antltriscus 



sylves- 



Fig. 54.— Wild Carrot (Daucus Carofa) 



a, Flower. 



&, Fruit, c, Fruit (larger scale) 

 cut across. 



tris), although these 



seem to have ver}'' 



little effect on cattle 



and other animals. 



The medicinal plants in the Umbelliferse are numerous, 



and form an important percentage of the plants collected 



by the druggist and herbalist. 



Dill (Peitcedanum graveolens). — There are tlu-ee 

 species of Peucedanum native to this country, but Dill 

 is not one of them, being a native of Soutliern Europe. 

 It may be included, however, for the following reason?, 

 viz., that it can be and is cuUivnfPfl in Fno-l.^nrl fhnt we 



