UMBELLALES. 



619 



Fias. 456-60. ILLUSTRATIONS OP FCENICUI.UM VULGARE. 

 ALL MAGNIFIED. 



United States, is hard and fine-grained, and is sometimes used as a sub- 

 stitute for Boxwood. 



The wood of Nyssa multiflora, the Sour Gum, Tupelo, or Peppridge 

 tree of the Eastern United States, is exceedingly difficult to split, and 

 is much used for making hubs for wagon wheels. 



Order Araliaceae. Shrubs or trees, rarely herbs, with mostly al- 

 ternate compound leaves ; fruit usually a berry or drupe. Species 340, 

 mostly tropical. 



Some of the species of A rnlin are ornamental e.g., A. spinosa and 

 A. raccmosa, of the 

 Eastern and South- 

 ern United States. 



Hedera Helix, the 

 English Ivy of Eu- 

 rope and Western 

 Asia, is a well- 

 known ornamental 

 climber. 



Aralia quinquefo- 

 lia, Ginseng, is com- 

 mon in many parts 

 of the Eastern 

 United States. Its 

 root is officinal. 



Aralia papyrife- 

 ra, a small tree of 

 China, is the source 

 of the Chinese Rice 

 paper ; for this pur- 

 pose the pith is cut 

 into thin sheets and 

 then pressed flat. 



FIG. 458. 



FIG. 459. 



FIG. 460. 



Fi<?. 456. Flower. 



Fig. 458. Flower diagram. 



Fig. 460.-Section of seed. 



Fig. 457. Section of flower. 

 Fig. 459. Ripe fruit. 



Order Umbellif- 

 erse. Herbs, rarely 

 shrubs or trees, with 

 alternate and usual- 

 ly much dissected leaves ; fruit dry and indehiscent. Species 1300, 

 found most abundantly in Northern Europe and Asia, although occur- 

 ring in nearly all countries. Many contain an acrid poisonous princi- 

 ple, and the plants of the order may usually be regarded with suspi- 

 cion. In a general way it may be said that the fruits are aromatic 

 and innoxious, and the green parts acrid and poisonous. (Figs. 456-60.) 



The Parsnip (Paiitinaca satica) and the Carrot (Daucus Carotd), 

 both natives of Europe, are valuable and well-known food plants. 

 In tlieir wild state they are poisonous. 



Apium graveolens, Celery, a native of Europe, is deservedly popular 



