170 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



SPECIES L— MYRRH IS ODORATA. Scop. 

 Plate DCXXVI. 

 Scandix odorata, Linn. Sm. Eng. Bot. No. G97. 



Leaves with short scattered white hairs beneath. Leaves of 

 the involucels linear-lanceolate, acuminate, scarious, ciliated with 

 woolly hairs. 



In pastures in mountainous districts. Common in the North 

 of England and in Scotland, as far North as Ross-shire; it also 

 occurs in a few localities in the South of England, but is doubtless 

 an introduced plant there. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring 

 and Summer. 



Root fleshy, passing gradually into the thick wrinkled rootstock. 

 Stem erect, 2 to -i feet high, round, striated, clothed with short 

 distant hairs, corymbosely branched in the upper part. Radical 

 leaves very large, deltoid in outline, ternately tripiunate, with the 

 leaflets pinnatifid, the segments acute, rounded on the outer side, 

 very finely hairy above, much more so beneath, with short white 

 stiff hairs ; stem-leaves with short dilated petioles, much smaller 

 and less divided than the radical ones. Umbels terminal, stalked, 

 with 6 to 12 rays, 1 to 1^ inch long ; pedicels about J inch long. 

 Elowers ^ inch across, only a few of the exterior ones perfect or 

 female. Cremocarp subcylindrical-prismatic, dark blackish-brown, 

 J inch long, acuminated at the apex ; mericarps with 5 very pro- 

 minent keeled ridges, which are remotely denticulate, and have 

 hairs springing from the denticulations. Plant pale-green. 



Sweet Cicely. 



French, Myrrhe Odorante. German, WohlHechende Sassdolde. 



This plant, like the chervil, though formerly cultivated as a potherb, has fallen 

 greatly into disuse in England. Our continental neighbours, more remarkable than 

 ourselves for the care with which they prepare their dishes, still use it, and contrive to 

 blend the flavours of different herbs so as to produce a pleasant effect on the palate. 

 The whole plant is aromatic, and was formerly applied medicinally as a stimulant and 

 carminative, but has given place to more active remedies. In Italy it is greatly 

 esteemed, and not only the leaves but the green seeds ground small are much used in 

 salads. " Sweet Chervil, gathered while it is young and put among other herbs in a 

 sallet," says Parkinson, *' addeth a marvellous good relish to all the rest." 



The seeds have the flavour of anise, and are used in the North of England for 

 polishing and perfuming oak* floors and furniture. The smell of this plant attracts 

 bees, and the insides of empty hives are often rubbed with it before placing them over 

 swarms to induce theni to enter, 



