112 FAMILIAR WILD FLO WEES. 



place amongst the crucifers, but the dense mass of stamens, 

 a feature never seen in the Cruciferece, would in itself be 

 sufficient to demonstrate that the plant has no such 

 affinity. The inflorescence is umbellate, i.e., all the little 

 stems of the flowers in each bunch spring from one 

 common point, as in the flowering rush and the numerous 

 plants, such as the carrot, hemlock, parsley, water-drop- 

 wort, fennel, and chervil, that form, with many others, 

 the great natural order of the Umbelliferce, an order so- 

 called from this form of inflorescence being common to all 

 the species. The inflorescence of the celandine, of the 

 cherry, and of the flowering rush, is in each case in like 

 manner umbellate, but they all differ from each other, 

 and from the hemlock or carrot, in so many respects that 

 each belongs to a distinct order, the many points of diver- 

 gence being much more marked than the one point of 

 resemblance. On the fall of the flower of the celandine 

 it is succeeded by a pod about two inches in length. As 

 the plant remains in blossom for a very considerable time, 

 the bud, the fully expanded flower, and well-developed pod, 

 may often all be seen together in one umbel. 



