3CG PIMPINELLA. L^'^^"'' '• °^^^^- "■ 



Root a Rolitiiiy tuber, about the size of u nut. iilctn erect, from one 



to two feet high, roiinil, fimooth, finely strialed, slender, branched 



above, and bearing but few leaves, that part of the stem beneath the 



ground is very slender, tough, and wiry, waved. Leaves very few, 



pinnated, leaflets much divided into linear segments, quite smooth, 



dark green, the radieal ones on long slender waved striated footstalks, 



the upper ones with very short dilated sheathing footstalks, and the 



leaflets with longer narrower segments. Umbels three or four, terminal, 



\.hc (jencral of numerous long slender angular, nearly equal j-a?/.5, the 



partial of very numerous short crowded rays, mostly unequal in 



flower. General involucre wanting, or sometimes there are one or two 



narrow segments, partial either wanting or of a few narrow lanceolate 



segments. Flmcers numerous, white. Cali/x an obtuse slightly 



notched margin. Petals obovate, notched at the extremity with an 



obtuse inflexed point, about half as long as ihe petal. Staviens on 



slender jilaments, longer than the petals. Anthers small, round. 



Styles short, straight, or spreading, with a conical disk, and small 



obtuse stiqma. Fruit long, narrow, smooth, and shining, somewhat 



tapering above, and crowned by the conical disks, the sides slightly 



compressed. Carpels each with five slender ridges, the lateral ones 



forming the margins. Channels with numerous slender simple vittcB. 



Albumen rounded at the back, somewhat flattened in front. 



Habitat. — Woods and pastures; frequent. 



Perennial ; flowering in May and June. 



The sweet and esculent tuberous roots of the Earth-nut, containing a 

 considerable portion of farinaceous matter, are very nutritive, and are 

 much sought ftfter by pigs ; and it is an amusement for children to 

 trace them to their deep situation in the ground by the slender stem 

 which guides them to it, and in times when there is a scarcity of 

 provisions they have been sought after as human food ; when dried, 

 they are readily powdered into flour, which has much the taste and 

 appearance of arrow root, for which it might be substituted. 



GENUS LVIII. PIMPIN'ELLA— Linn. Burnet Saxifrage. 



Gen. C'liAR. Calyx margin obsolete. P<?/a/x obovate, notched, with 

 an inflexed point. Fruit ovate, laterally compressed, crowned by 

 the convex disk and long slender style. Carpels with five filiform 

 ridyes, the lateral ones forming the margins. Channels with 

 many vitta:. Albumen roundish at the back, plain in front. 

 Invnhicre wanting. Flimrrs white. — Name altered, according to 

 J.innaVis, from Bipcnnula, tirice pi)inntrd. 



