CLASS V. ORDER II.] HERACLBUM. 391 



with single clavate viltce. Albumen flattened. General involucre 

 falling away, partial of numerous segments. Named from 

 Hercules, who is said to have brought this or some other allied 

 plant into use, and was sacred to him. 



1. H. Sphondiflium, Linn. (Fig. 451.) common Cow Parsnip, or 

 Hog Weed. Leaves rough, hairy, pinnate, or deeply pinnatifid. 

 leaflets lobed, cut, sinuated, the terminal one somewhat palmated ' 

 fruit ovate, obtuse, notched, at length smooth. 



English Botany, t. 939. English Flora, vol. ii. p. 102. Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 135. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 116. 



j3. angustifolium. Leaves more deeply cut, with narrow lobes. 

 H. angustifolium. Sm. Flora. Brit. p. 307. Jacquinii Austr. vol. ii. 

 t. 173. 



Root tapering, whitish, and somewhat sweet. Stem erect, about 

 four feet high, branched, leafy, angular, deeply furrowed and rough, 

 with white spreading hairs. Leaves large, with stiiated footstalks, very 

 much dilated into a thin membranous striated saccate sheath, more or 

 less hairy, with three leaflets, or pinnated, rough, with hairs, pale on 

 the under side, lobed, deeply cut or sinuated, irregularly serrated, the 

 terminal leaflet three lobed, or sometimes cut in a palmate manner ; 

 occasionally the leaflets are all deeply cut into narrow lobes, as in the 

 variety /3. Umbels terminal and lateral, large, the general one of 

 numerous striated irregular downy rays, the partial slender, numerous, 

 unequal, the outer ones bearing radiant fertile flowers. Involucre 

 various, the general of a few lanceolate membranous finely fringed 

 segments, soon falling away, or wanting, the partial similar, more 

 numerous. Flowers numerous, the outer ones larger than the others, 

 radiant, white or pink. Calyx of five small teeth. Petals inversely 

 heart-shaped, with.au inflexed point, the petals of the outer flowers 

 much larger than the others, and deeply divided. Stamens on long 

 slender^i/amente, with ovate angers. Styles short, with a conate disk. 

 Fruit ovate, very thin, compressed at the back, obtuse at the extremity, 

 and notched with a broad plane margin, at first somewhat downy, 

 becoming smooth. Carpels with very slender filiform ridges, the three 

 at the back equi- distant, the two lateral ones near the dilated margin. 

 Channels very shallow, with conspicuous club-shaped vittce, about half 

 the length from the top. Albumen very thin, much compressed. 



Habitat. Hedges, road sides, pastures, and bushy places; frequent. 



Biennial; flowering in July. 



A coarse rank plant, wholesome and nutritive for cattle, and is 

 eaten by most of them ; hogs are said to be particularly fond of it, 

 hence its name of Hog-weed. The dried hollow stems are gathered in 

 many parts of the country, tied up in small bundles of a convenient 

 length, dried and used for spells, &c. ; and on the Continent they are 

 made into matches, with brimstone. 



