128 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
wise they are not showy, and are effective 
chiefly in the general grouping of objects in 
nature's pictures. 
The earliest species is Anthriscus Sylvestres, 
Wild Chervil, which makes its appearance in 
the early spring, and crowds the hedge-banks 
in most parts of the country with its large 
foliage and tall furrowed stems, surmounted 
by large umbels of white flowers. The leaves 
are collected for rabbits. This is a very good 
example of the Order, and as its fruit matures 
in summer, it may be as well to make it here 
an illustration of the Umbelliferous plants. 
You will find at this time, then, in the banks, 
tall stems bearing umbels of capsules, some- 
thing like pods, but each capsule consisting of 
two parts of the shape of a Caraway seed, 
which, when quite ripe, become brown and 
separate, each part being then suspended by its 
upper end from a slender stalk between the 
two. In the Caraway plant, what is called the 
caraway-seed is actually a half-fruct of the kind 
now described. This half-fruit is called a car- 
pel, or mericarp; and a whole fruit consists 
of 2 carpels, which, in the earlier stage of 
growth, and until they get ripe, adhere closely 
