UMBELLIFER.E. 171 



GUN US XXXIK—S A N D I X. Linu. 



Calyx-limb obsolete or indistinctly 5-toothed. Petals obovate, 

 truncate or emarginate, witli an inflexed lobe. Cremocarp laterally 

 compressed, oblong-ovoid, produced into a long beak much exceed- 

 ing the rest of the fruit ; columella free, entire or shortly 2-cleft 

 at the summit ; mericarps with 5 obtuse equal ridges ; interstices 

 each with an indistinct vitta, or without any. Albumen of the 

 seed deeply furrowed on the face next the columella. Involucre 

 none, or of few leaves. 



Annual herbs, having pinnately decompound leaves, with finely- 

 divided segments. Umbels of few rays ; flowers white. 



The derivation of the name of this genus of plants appears to be from some word 

 now lost, which signified to give pain, as a prick in the flesh — hence scandal. 



SPECIES L— SCAN DIX PE CTE N-VENERIS. Linn. 



Plate DCXXVII. 



Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1210. 



S. Pecten, Hook. & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 184. 



Umbels simple or of 2 thickened rays. Leaves of the involu- 

 cels cut at the apex. Beak 4 or 5 times as long as the rest of the 

 fruit, dorsally compressed. 



In cultivated fields. Common in England, but becoming more 

 rare in Scotland, though it has been found as far North as 

 Orkney. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual or Biennial. Summer 



and Autumn. 



Boot slender, tapering. Stem dividing into several at the base, 

 the divisions weak, ascending, 6 inches to 3 feet high, branched. 

 Leaves oblong in outline, hi- or tri-pinnate, witli the leaflets pin- 

 natifid or cut at the apex into short strapshaped acuminate lobes. 

 Umbels lateral and terminal, sometimes simple, sometimes of 2 

 thickened rays f to IJ inch long. Involucels of numerous leaves, 

 those on the inner side sometimes lanceolate-acuminate, entire ; 

 the outer ones all cleft into 2 to G lobes at the apex. Elowers |- to 

 ^ inch across, radiant. Cremocarp, including the beak, 1^ to 3 

 inches long, blackish-brown, witli tbe ridges and beak pale-brown ; 

 the mericarps and margins of the beak with small distant pale 

 warts terminating in short prickles which point towards the apex ; 

 beak sword-shaped, furrowed on the inside of each of its two halves. 

 Plant pale-green, glabrous, with the dilated petioles ciliated with 



