358 



length may be variable, according to the luxuriance and age of the 

 plant, still in 05. pinipinelloides the tubercles are always seated on 

 evident stalks : those of GE. peucedanifolia are invariably thick and 

 sessile, more or less elliptical, and fleshy ; while those of CE. Lache- 

 nalii are long, slender, vermiform, thickening only towards the posterior 

 end, and that very gradually. Thus we may present these differences 

 in a succinct form, which, in connexion with the cuts, will render the 

 matter fully intelligible. 



Root consisting of many widely-spreading round or ovoid scaly 

 tubercles on lignose stalks, terminating in fibres. — (E. pinipi- 

 nelloides. 

 Root of elliptical or pyriform thick fleshy sessile naked tubercles, 

 suddenly swollen at the posterior extremity, graduating into 

 fibres. — CE. peucedanifolia. 

 Root of long slender fleshy vermiform tubercles, clothed with fibres, 

 very gradually incrassated, and ending in long fibrillse, — (E. 

 Lachenalii. 

 By attending to the characters thus laid down, the root alone will 

 be found perfectly discriminative in these three species ; and this is 

 very remarkable, for cursorily noticed, Ch\. pimpinelloides and CE. 

 peucedanifolia can scarcely be distinguished from each other except 

 by a very nice eye, though there are other points of distinction to 

 which I shall presently revert. In an early stage of grow^th, the tu- 

 bercles of pimpinelloides have very short stalks indeed, but these 

 rapidly extend themselves around the plant, so that in maturity then 

 are far removed from it, and are broken off unless the plant is takey 

 up with care. In perfection they are marbled with scales, often be- 

 come angular from obstacles they meet with in progressing through 

 the soil, and have a pleasant nutty taste. I should conjecture these 

 tubercles to form receptacles of nutriment to keep up the growth of 

 the plant in those very dry meadows where it grows, for at the close 

 of summer the majority of them are found shrivelled up, dry, and ex- 

 hausted. The tubercles of peucedanifolia vary considerably in thick- 

 ness and length, even on the same root, but they are totally different 

 from those of Q£. pimpinelloides in their constantly sessile character, 

 and though some of them are as slender as those of QC. Lachenalii, there 

 are always others in company with them thick and fleshy, elliptical, 

 and suddenly swollen towai'ds their base. Sometimes they are so sud- 

 denly incrassated, as to assume a pyriform aspect. The tubercles of 

 CE. Lachenalii, on the other hand, are all uniformly slender and ver- 

 miform,* imperceptibly thickening towards their termination, and 



