2 LXVIII. UMBELLIFER-E (hIERN). 



minute, near the apex of the seed, straight ; radicle superior. — Herbs, 

 rarely shrubs, very rarely trees, anrxual, biennial, or perennial. Leaves 

 alternate or rarely subopposite, frequently decompound, usually mem- 

 branous ; petioles sheathing or amplexicaul at the base, and usually 

 without separate stipules. Flowers often polygamous, arranged in ter- 

 minal or lateral, simple or compound umbels, which in some cases are 

 reduced to capitula. Bracts and bracteoles usually present, forming re- 

 spectively the involucres and involucels. 



A large family abounding in temperate latitudes, especially in the Northern hemi- 

 sphere, but represented more or less in nearly all parts ot" the world. 



Five genera are endemic in Af'nca, and three in Tropical Asia. 

 Umbels simple, capitate, or irregularly compound.. Carpophore 0. 

 (Heteuosciade^.) 

 Calyx-lobes obsolete. Fruit laterally compressed, glabrous. 



Commissure narrow. Vittse 1. Hydrocottle. 



Calyx-lobes prominent. Fruit subterete or slightly compressed, 

 vesicular or echinate. Commissure broad. Vittse solitary. 

 (Sanicule^.) 

 Fruit vesicular. Flowers capitate, all sessile. Eigid. 



Capitula cylindrical, containing bracts 2. Eryngium, 



Capitula globular, not containing bracts 3. Alepidea. 



Fruit echinate. Flowers all or the male ones pedicelled . . 4. Sanicula. 

 Umbels regularly compound. Fruit without prominent secondary 

 ridges. Vittse between the primary ridges. (Haplozygi^.) 

 Female flowers solitary, sessile, in the centre of each umbellule 5. Pycnocycla. 

 Female flowers not solitary. 



Fruit not winged, or if so, laterally compressed ; subterete or 

 laterally compressed. 

 Fruit laterally compressed (slightly so and ovate in Ammi.) 



(AMMlNEiE.) 



Seeds deeply grooved in front 6. Conium. 



Seeds not deeply grooved in front. 



Stem very short. Peduncles abbreviated .... 7. Trachydium. 

 Stem elongated or peduncles not abbreviated. 



Shrub. Mericarps dissimilar 8. Heteromorpha 



Herbs. Mericarps similar. 

 Fruit ovoid or didymous, 

 Vittae solitary. 



Umbels subsessile or shortly stalked ... 9. Apium. 

 Umbels manifestly stalked. 



Bracts of involucre several, dissected . . 10. Ammi, 

 Bracts of involucre or linear . . . .11. Carum. 

 Vittae 00 . 



Bracts of involucre oo . Carpophore . . 12. Sjum. 

 Bracts of involucre few or (except P. simen- 



sis). Carpophore bipartite or bifid . .13. Pimpinella. 

 Fruit ovate-oblong. Ridges inconspicuous . . 14. Anthriscus. 

 Fruit oblong, subterete. Vittse solitary. (Seseline^.) 

 Fruit hirsute. Involucre and involucels of many bracts 15. Diplolophicm. 

 Fruit glabrous. Involucre and involucels wanting. 



(Cultivated) Fosniculum. 



Fruit much compressed dorsaliy, winged. (Peucedane^.) 

 Margin of the fruit thinner than the disk. 



Vittae 00 16. Ferula. 



Vittse solitary. 



Wings of the fruit not separated at the apex by a deep 

 narrow sinus 17. Peucedanum. 



