6 PITTONIA. 



of European local floras is Host's Austria (1827), and in this 

 we find a concise and intelligible description of the subter- 

 ranean organs of our plant ; altliougli we have to take into 

 consideration this, that the author wrote at a time when the 

 distinction between root and subterranean stem had not yet 

 been clearly drawn or generally received. This is his descrip- 

 tion : "Radix tuberosa, deformis, cava, dissepimentis inter- 

 cepta, fibris plurimis firniata," Tlie body of what he describes 

 is plainly the cauliform root-axis ; and the true roots are all 

 fibrous. B(jerhaave, a hundred years before Host had described 

 quite as well the root-axis in his phrase "Radix cauliforniis/' ^ 

 Ledebour says distinctly : "Radicis fibris filiformibus," and 

 to the same effect is Spach's description of the root ; and his 

 is the fullest and most minute of all. Lastly, in the Prodromus 

 De CandoUe places O, virosa in a group by itself on account 

 of its slender-fibrous roots ; the other two species^ known to 

 him being formed in a second group by reason of their having 

 roots oblong in shape and tuberous-fleshy. It is clear that, 

 unless we have in America some Cicuta the roots of which 

 form a mere tuft of slender and almost filiform fibres, the 

 name of C virosa should be excluded from our flora 



■^ -K- Jlain roofs coarse, elongided, flesh ij-jihrons. 



2. C. BoLANDEFvi, Watson, Proc. Am. Acad. xi. 139 ; Bot. 

 CaliL i 2G1 ; Coult. & Rose Revis. Umb. 130. Roots numerous 

 (8 to 20), whorled around the broad base of a short-conical 

 strictly erect axis, greatly elongated -(4 to 7 inches), | to | 

 inch thick above, tapering very gradually ( /. e, slender- 

 conical), whitish, when cut or broken exuding a copious deep 

 yellow oily juice ; accessories not apparent : stem stout, 

 erect, 4 to 9 feet high, purplish below and very glaucous' 

 paniculate from beluw the middle: flowers clear Avhite, 

 showy : radical leaves on petioles 2 feet long or more, the 

 blade twice or thrice pinnate, small in proj^ortion to tlie 



"^ r-H^ _^ ^ ■ ^^^^ ■ _ ■ ^ 



'i _ — 



^ B*£rli. Hortua Academicus, 55. 



* C. macnluta and C. bnUnffra. 



