PARSLEY FAMILY UMBELLIFERAE 
HONEWORT 
Cryptotaenia canadensis (L.) DC. 
A common characteristic of members of this family is a 
series of longitudinal canals, between or beneath the ribs of 
the fruit, which contain aromatic oil. The name Cryptotaenia 
comes from two 
ay), Greek words 
\) G id which have ref- 
WZ UP erence to these 
aw concealed oil 
pi tubes. 
The Honewort 
is a common woods 
plant from New 
Brunswickto 
Georgia and west 
| to western On- 
Y tario, South Da- 
F kota and Texas. 
y Once entered into 
a garden it tends 
4 € to become a weed. 
, This is a smooth perennial herb 1-3 feet high, which branches 
freely and blooms from June to August. The lower and basal 
leaves are long petioled, whereas the upper are nearly sessile as 
shown. All are 3-divided. 
The compound umbel usually consists of 4-10 small umbels 
whose pedicels are unequal in length. There are no involucres 
or involucels. There are no calyx teeth and the white petals 
are turned in at the tip. The fruits are smooth, narrowed at 
both ends, sometimes curved, and about one-quarter inch long. 
The Water Parsnip, Sium cicutaefolium Schrank, is common 
in swampy and marshy places. It is a stout perennial 2-6 feet high, 
which produces large compound umbels of white flowers from July 
to October. The leaves are very variable. The lower have long 
petioles and may be very finely dissected, especially if they are 
submerged in water. The upper are simply pinnate and have 7-17 
leaflets that are 2-5 inches long and usually less than 1 inch wide. 
Involucres and involucels are present, composed of numerous 
narrow bracts. The fruit is oval, flattened, about one-fifth of an 
inch long, and has prominent ribs. 
220 
