CLASS v. OKDEU ii.] PETROSELINUM. 357 



Borrer, in English Botany Suppt. 2793. Hooker, British Flora, vol. 

 i. p. 127. Apium Petroselinum, Linn. 



Root long, fusiform, white. The whole plant a smooth shining 

 green. Stem erect, from one to two feet high, round or angular, 

 striated, alternately branched below, opposite above, spreading. Leaves 

 numerous at the base of its stem, footstalks channeled, dilated at the 

 base with a thin .membranous margin, partly embracing the stem, lower 

 leaves doubly compound, the leaflets ovate, wedge-shaped, mostly 

 deeply divided into three segments, acute, and deeply toothed, leaflets 

 of the upper leaves with simply three-cleft lanceolate mostly entire 

 segments. Umbels terminal, compound, the general of numerous 

 somewhat unequal rays, the partial numerous, short, unequal. General 

 involucre of a few narrow lanceolate entire or occasionally toothed 

 unequal segments, mostly with membranous margins, sometimes alto- 

 gether wanting, the partial of numerous awl-shaped segments, with 

 membranous margins. Flowers numerous, yellowish white. Calyx 

 limb obsolete. Petals roundish, notched at the apex, with an elongated 

 incurved point, mid-rib broadish green. Stamens with incurved fila- 

 ments, as long as the petals. Anthers roundish, oblong, of two cells. 

 Styles short, curved, with a thickened glandular base. Stic/ma 

 simple. Fruit ovate. 



Habitat. Old walls and dry waste places; frequent in the South- 

 west of England; Woollaton, near Nottingham. R. D. Blarney 

 Castle, near Cork, Ireland. Mr. Wilson. 



Biennial; flowering in June and July. 



Parsley is a well known pot herb, used for a variety of culinary pur- 

 poses. Its leaves, and the greenish aspect of the plant, are similar to 

 those of some other umbellate plants, and especially the SEthusa 

 Cynapium, fool's parsley, which is a common weed in gardens, and is 

 considered very unwholesome. It is readily distinguished from the 

 real parsley by the three long pendent segments of the partial invo- 

 lucre, and the unpleasant odour emitted by its leaves when bruised. 

 The roots and seed of the common parsley were formerly directed 

 for medical use, the former having a sweet taste, somewhat resembling 

 that of carrots : they are slightly aperient and diuretic, and used in the 

 form of an infusion, are of benefit in obstructions of the kidneys, and 

 other of the urinary passages. They are warm, aromatic, and more 

 bitter than any other part of the plant ; but we are not aware of 

 their being much used for their carminative properties. A variety, 

 crispum, is much cultivated in gardens, having the leaves very 

 much curled aud larger, remarkably beautiful, especially for the 

 garnishing and ornamenting of cold meats, &c. &c. 



2. P. sege'tum, Koch. (Fig. 421.) Corn Parsley. Stem erect, almost 

 nuked ; leaves pinnated ; leaflets of the lower ones ovate, nearly sessile, 



