698 Umbelliferae. 
commissure wide or narrowed; mericarp 5-sided or subterete; 
primary ridges blunt, somewhat prominent, the lateral ones marginal 
at the commissure. Vittae solitary between the ridges, 2 in each 
commissural face. Carpophore bipartite or bifid. Seed subterete. — 
Herbs glabrous or the fruit only papillose with scarcely glabrous 
umbels and hairy petals. Leaves pinnately decompound, with narrow 
segments. Umbels regularly compound with several or many primary 
and secondary rays. Involucre of 0, 1, or few bracts, and involucels 
with 0 or several bracteoles. Flowers usually hermaphrodite. 
A considerable genus, widely distributed, and chiefly inhabiting the 
temperate and subtropical regions of the world. 
987. Carum Carvi L. Spec. Plant. I (1753), p. 378. — Boiss. 
Flor. Or. II, p.879. — Aschers.-Schweinf. Ill. Flor. d’Eg., p. 80. — 
Bunium Carvi M. Bieb. Flor. Taur.-Caucas. I, p. 211. — Rehbch. 
Ic. XXI, tab. 31 fig. UZ. — A biennial forming a tap root, and perhaps 
occasionally a perennial stock. Stem erect, branched, 35—60 cm 
high. Leaves with a rather long sheathing footstalk, pinnate, with 
several pairs of segments, which are sessile, but once or twice 
pinnate, with short linear lobes; in a leaf of 6 or 8 cm, the lowest 
or next to the lowest segments are about */, of a cm long, the 
others diminishing gradually to the top. Upper leaves smaller and 
less divided. Umbels of about 8 or 10 rays, either without in- 
volucres, or with 1 or 2 small linear bracts. Carpels (commonly 
called Caraway seeds) about 5 mm long, linear-oblong, and usually 
curved, with the ribs prominent. — Flow. March to April. 
M. ma. M. p. N. d. N. f. N. v. D. a. sept. Cultivated everywhere 
and often subspontaneous. 
Local name: kerawii. 
Also known from Europe, Tripolitania, Caucasia and Persia. 
387. (10.) Ammi Tourn. 
Calyx-teeth obsolete or small. Petals obovate, with an inflexed 
point, emarginate, or with 2 unequal lobes, the exterior ones frequently 
larger. Fruit laterally compressed, ovate-oblong. Carpels with 
5 filiform equal ribs, the lateral ones marginal. Interval with single 
vitta, commissure with 2 vittae, carpophore free, 2-parted. Seeds 
terete-convex, flattish on the face. Herbs with a fusiform root and 
pinnately divided or many-parted leaves. Umbels coyspound, many- 
rayed. Involucre many-leaved, the leaflets 3-cleft or pinnatifid. 
Involucels many-leaved, the leaflets undivided. 
A genus of a few species growing chiefly in the Mediterranean region, 
and extending to Chili and Brazil. 
