378 .ETHUSA. ["-ASS v. ORDER H. 



much divided ; umbels opposite the leaves ; general involucre wanting, 

 or of few segments; fruit ovate, oblong. 



English Flora, vol. ii. p. 71. Hooter, British Flora, vol. i. p. 132. 

 Lindley, Synopsis, p. 119. Phellandrum aquaticum. English Botany, 

 t. 684. 



Hoot spindle-shaped, fleshy, with many whorled branched filiform 

 fibres. Stem from two to three feet high, hollow, very thick at the 

 base, very much branched above, spreading in a divaricating manner, 

 smooth, striated, leafy. Leaves alternate, spreading, bi- or tri-pinnate, 

 smooth, of a dark shining green, footstalks rather slender, striated, 

 dilated at the base, and embracing the stem, leaflets opposite, some- 

 what decurrent at the base, ovate oblong, with a wedge-shaped base, 

 deeply cut into acute narrow segments. Umbels opposite the leaves, 

 on short somewhat tumid stalks, the general of about twelve unequal 

 striated rays, the partial of numerous short irregular ones. General 

 involucre wanting, or of a few small segments, partial of numerous 

 unequal narrow ones. Flowers numerous, white or pinkish, the outer 

 ones largest, mostly all fertile. Calyx limb of five spreading narrow 

 lanceolate segments. Petals unequal, inversely heart-shaped, with an 

 inflexed point. Stamens on long slender filaments. Anthers ovate, 

 mostly purplish. Styles long, slender, straight. Stigma small, glo- 

 bose. Disk small, conical, crowning the fruit, which is ovate oblong, 

 smooth, the sides compressed. Carpels with five broad obtuse ridges, 

 the lateral ones forming the margins wider than the others. Channels 

 narrow, with small single vittce, containing a strong disagreeable 

 secretion. Albumen roundish, oval. 



Habitat. Rivers and drains; not unfrequent. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



The root is sometimes found to put out creeping runners when the 

 plant is growing on the banks of running streams, and the leaves which 

 are under the surface of the-water become much divided into almost 

 hair-like segments. Varieties are sometimes found growing in the 

 dried up bed of ponds with short very thick stems, aud much divided 

 branches entangled together, rery bushy, but not otherwise different. 



GENUS LXIII. ^THU'SA. LINN. Fool's Parsley. 



GEN. CHAR. Calyx margin obsolete. Petals obcordate, notched with 

 an inflexed point. Fruit roundish, ovate. Carpels with five 

 elevated acutely carinated ridges, of which the lateral ones are 

 rather wider than the others, and surmounted by a somewhat 

 winged keel. Channels with single vittce. Albumen convex or 



