ARALIACEAU 



[ClIAP. 



poison of the Athenians, is one of the foremost amongst 

 the dangerous species. It is useful in medicine. Culti- 

 vated in temperate countries, besides the species named as 

 types, are : Parsnips {Pastifiaca), Celery {Apiiwi), Parsley 

 {Petroselinum), Caraways {Carum), and Anise {Anisujjt). 



49. Natural Order, Araliacece. — The Ivy Family. 



Shrubs, trees, or herbs, with alternate, simple or com- 

 pound leaves. Petals and stamens epigynous. Carpels 

 two or more. 



Type — Paratropia vcnulosa. 



A small tree, with alternate, petiolate, digitate, smooth, 

 veiny leaves, and numerous umbels of very small flowers, 

 arranged in terminal panicles. 



This Family may be regarded as representing the Umbel- 

 lifers in the tropics. They agree in many technical characters, 

 but generally differ either in the increased number of carpels 

 cohering to form the syncarpous ovary, or in their woody 

 habit. There are many Natural Orders which include much 

 greater variety of structure than Araliaceae and Umbelli- 

 ferae together, and that in respect of the same organs, but the 

 ordinal characters of the Umbellifers derive their systematic 

 importance from their constant prevalence through an im- 



