THE POLYI'ETAL.E 95 



ing features will help ohe rearler to identify the more 

 important: An aromatic UmLellifer with yellow flowers 

 indicates Fennel, one witli white flowers and aromatic 

 ylijhular fruit is probably Coriander. Anise is peculiar 

 in possessing a fruit clothed with short bristly hairs. 

 The structure of the leaves of Dill is very unlike that of 

 most Umbcllifers. Again, the fact that the main umbel 

 of Caraway possesses only one hract constitutes a very 

 distinctive feature. With regard to Celery, the charac- 

 teristic odour and flavour which we associate with this 



plant is perhaps its best beacon. 



The identification of the non-aromatic Umbellifers 

 must be carried out in the same way, i.e. by picking^ out 

 individual characteristics after having first ascertained 

 that the plant in question is an Umbellifer. Thus, Hem- 

 lock has its odour and its red spots. Water Dropwort 

 and Water Hemlock have their yellow exudations when 

 bruised, and Coio Parsnip has its eminently charac- 

 teristic coarse leaves, which when once known cannot be 

 later mistaken for anything else. It is only by a careful 

 examination of the characteristics of individual species 

 that headway can be made in the study of this order. 



Araliaceae.— The Ivy is too familiar to need description. 

 The berries, which appear in winter, are conspicuous m 

 the absence of other fruits. They may be regarded as 

 sub-poisonous, for though all manner of birds eat them 

 ^vith avidity and witli no ill effects, they produce a vomit- 

 ing sickness in children. A glucoside called helixin has 

 been extracted from the berries, and it is to the presence 

 of this substance that their bitter-sweet, quinine-hke taste 



ue. 



