UMBELLIFER,E. LV. SIUM. 



295 



and are declared by Worlidge, in 1682, to be "the sweetest, 

 whitest, and most pleasant of roots." This plant grows freely in 

 lightish soil, moderately good It is propagated both from seed 

 and by offsets of established roots. The better method is to 

 raise seedlings to have the root in perfection, young, and 

 tender. 



By seeds. " Sow between the 21st of March and the 15th of 

 April ; a fortnight later, rather than earlier, for a full crop, as 

 plants raised forward in spring are apt to start for seed in sum- 

 mer. Sow on an open compartment of light ground, in small 

 drills 8 inches apart. When the plants are 1 or 2 inches high, 

 thin them to 5 or 6 inches asunder. They will enlarge in growth 

 to the end of autumn ; but before the roots are full grown, in 

 August, September, or October, some may be taken up for con- 

 sumption, as wanted ; those left to reach maturity will continue 

 good for use throughout winter and in spring, till the stems run. 



By slips. " Having some plants of last year's raising, fur- 

 nished with root offsets, slip them off; taking only the young 

 outward slips, and not leaving any of the large older roots ad- 

 hering to the detached offsets ; which plant by dibble, in rows 

 from 6 to 9 inches asunder. They will soon strike and enlarge, 

 and divide into offsets ; which, as well as the main roots, are 

 eatable, and come in for use in proper season. 



To save seed. " Leave some old plants in the spring : they 

 will shoot in stalks, and ripen seed in autumn." 



Var. j8, Ninsi ; stem bulbiferous ; leaflets broader, rather cor- 

 date. Sium Ninsi, Burm. ind. t. 29. Thunb. jap. 118. 



Skirret. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1548. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



2 S. SISAROIDEUM (D. C. prod. 4. p. 124.) root unknown ; 

 stem furrowed ; leaves pinnate ; leaflets ovate, rather cordate at 



the base, toothed : upper leaves ternate, having the leaflets ob- 

 long, acuminated, and serrated ; involucrum of 4-5 reflexed 

 leaves: calycine teeth almost wanting. y.-H. Native of Per- 

 sia, in the province of Aderbeidjan, about Badelan, in shady 

 sandy places, where it was collected by Szowits. The root is 

 said to be creeping, but according to the specimens examined, 

 they appear to be fasciculate like those of the common skirret. 

 The whole plant is like S. Sisarum, and especially variety /3, 

 but differs in the stem being furrowed, in the leaves being 

 broader, in the fruit being shorter, and in the fibres of the roots 

 being cylindrical. 



Skirret-like Water-parsnip. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



3 S. LANCIFOLIUM (Bieb. suppl. p. 230.) root creeping ; leaves 

 pinnate ; leaflets lanceolate, equally and sharply serrated ; invo- 

 lucrum of many leaves ; calycine teeth very short. I/ . H. 

 Native of Tauria and "Caucasus, in marshes and humid places ; 

 and of Altaia, at the' river Irtysh. S. latifolium, Bieb. fl. taur. 

 1. p. 225. exclusive of the synonymes. S. latifolium Ukrani- 

 cum, Fisch. cat. hort. gor. 1812.* Berula lancifdlium, Bess, 

 enum. pi. volh. p. 44. Very nearly allied to S. latifolium. 

 The commissure of the fruit, according to Koch, is furnished 

 with 4-6 vittse. 



Var. ft; leaflets narrower, linear-lanceolate. 1.H. Gmel. 

 sib. 1. p. 201. no. 14. t. 47. 



Lance-leaved Water-parsnip. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1819. PI. 

 1 to 2 feet. 



4 S. LATIFOLIUM (Lin. spec. p. 361.) root creeping; stems 

 angularly furrowed ; leaves pinnate ; leaflets lanceolate, acumi- 

 nated, unequal at the base, serrated, rarely pinnatifid ; involu- 

 crum of many leaves ; calycine teeth elongated. "%.. H. Native 

 throughout the whole of Europe and North America, in ditches 

 and marshes. In Britain in rivers, ditches, and fens. Jacq. 

 fl. austr. t. 66. Smith, engl. hot. t. 204. Oed. fl. dan. t. 

 246. Hayn. arz. gew. 1. t. 38. good. Coriandrum Iatif61ium, 

 Crantz. austr. p. 219. Drepanophyllum palustre, Hoffm. umb. 

 110. The leaflets of the submersed leaves are in the same plant 



often multifidly jagged. The commissure of the fruit, according 

 to Koch, is furnished with 6 vittse. Stem with whorles of fibres 

 under water. The plant is of an acrid poisonous quality, par- 

 ticularly the roots. 



Broad-leaved Water-parsnip. Fl. July, Aug. Britain. PI. 

 3 to 6 feet. 



5 S. LONGIFOHUM (Presl, fl. cech. p. 65. but not of Pursh,) 

 root unknown ; stem striated ; leaves pinnate ; leaflets linear- 

 lanceolate, elongated, unequally toothed, very acute ; involu- 

 crum usually one-leaved. 3/.H. Native of Bohemia, in marshes 

 and ditches. 



Long-leaved Water-parsnip. PI. 2 to 3 feet. 



6 S. LINEA'RE (Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 167.) stem angu- 

 larly furrowed ; leaves pinnate; with 4-5 pairs of linear-lanceo- 

 late leaflets, which are acutely and finely serrated ; involucrum 

 of a few linear leaves. ]/ . H. Native of North America, from 

 Canada to Carolina ; on the mountains and at the Saskatchawan, 

 in marshes ; watery places about Lake Huron ; moist and over- 

 flowed grounds of the Columbia. Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 186. 

 exclusive of the synonyme of Pursh ex Torrey, fl. un. st. 1. p. 

 311. The young submersed leaves are deeply multifid or tri- 

 pinnate, with very narrow linear subulate segments. 



Zinear-leaved Water-parsnip. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1810. 

 PI. 1 foot. 



7 S. DOUGLA'SII (D. C. prod. 4. p. 125.) stem terete; leaves 

 pinnate ; lower leaflets ternate, the rest petiolulate, ovate-oblong, 

 coarsely serrated ; umbels opposite the leaves, and terminal, 

 pedunculate, without an involucrum, of many rays. If. . H. Na- 

 tive of the north-west coast of America. Stems and petioles 

 reddish. Lower leaves 1J foot long. Flowers white. Calyx 

 5-toothed. 



Douglas's Water-parsnip. PI. 3 to 4 feet. 



SECT. H. BE'RULA (probably from finpos, beros, a cloak or 

 garment). Koch, deutschl. fl. 2. p. 455. D. C. prod. 4. p. 

 125. Lateral ridges of the fruit placed a little before the mar- 

 gins of the mericarps. Transverse section of seed perfectly 

 terete. 



8 S. ANGUSTIFOLIUM (Lin. spec. 1672.) root fibrous, having 

 stolons running from the neck ; stem hardly striated ; leaves 

 pinnate ; leaflets ovate, unequally lobed and serrated ; umbels 

 pedunculate, opposite the leaves, and terminal ; involucrum of 

 many, rather pinnatifid leaves. I/. B. H. Native throughout 

 the whole of Europe, even to Caucasus and Persia, in ditches 

 and rivulets; plentiful in some parts of Britain. Jacq. fl. austr. 

 t. 67. Hayne, arz. gew. 1. t. 39. Smith, engl. bot. t. 139. 

 Hook. fl. lond. fasc. 2. t. 111. S. nodiflorum, Fl. dan. 247. S. 

 erectum, Huds. ed. 1. p. 103. S. Berula, Gouan. fl. monsp. p. 

 218. A'pium Sium, Crantz, p. 215. Berula angustifolia, Koch, 

 deutschl. fl. 2. p. 455. Root creeping extensively. Stem with 

 whorles of fibres under water. 



Narrow-leaved Water-parsnip. Fl. July, Aug. Britain. PI. 

 2 to 3 feet. 



9 S. THUNBE'RGII (D. C. prod. 4. p. 125.) root fibrous, 

 throwing out stolons from the neck ; stem erect, striated ; 

 branches angular ; leaves pinnate ; leaflets ovate, acute, regu- 

 larly and callously serrated ; umbels pedunculate, opposite the 

 leaves, and terminal ; involucrum of 3-5 linear acute undivided 

 leaves. 7{. B. H. Native of the Cape of Good Hope, in 

 marshes near Seekhuwallei. Sium angustifolium, Thunb. prod. 

 p. 51. Leaflets approximate and regularly disposed. Plant 

 erect. 



Thunberg's Water-parsnip. PI. 2 to 3 feet. 



f Species not sufficiently known, and are therefore doubtful 

 whether they belong to the genus. 



