UMBELLIFER^E. XCII. FERULA. 



325 



inwardly of a paler colour, and frequently variegated with large 

 white pieces. It is supposed to be an emmenagogue, but is sel- 

 dom used. 



Chiron's or Common Opopanax. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1 640. 

 PI. 6 feet. 



Cult. This is a plant of easy culture ; and may be increased 

 either by seeds or dividing at the root. 



XCII. FE'RULA (from ferio, to strike ; stems used as rods). 

 Tourn. inst. 321. t. 170. Lin. gen. no. 343. Spreng. umb. prod. 

 p. 13. exclusive of some species Ferula and Ferulago, Koch, 

 limb. p. 96. and p. 97' 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Digynia. Margin of calyx with 5 

 short teeth. Petals ovate, entire, acuminated, with the points 

 ascending or incurved. Fruit flatly compressed from the back, 

 girded by a flattened dilated margin. Mericarps with 3 dorsal 

 filiform ribs, and 2 lateral obsolete ones, which are lost in the 

 dilated margin. Vittae 3 or more in the dorsal furrows, and 4 

 or more in the commissure. Seed flat. Carpophore bipartite. 

 Herbs, with thick roots, tall stems, and supra-decompound 

 leaves : leaflets usually cleft into linear segments. Umbels of 

 many rays : lateral ones usually opposite or verticillate. Invo- 

 lucra variable. Flowers yellow. Stems in many of the larger 

 species filled with medulla, interspersed with fibres, as the stems 

 of monocotyledonous plants. 



SECT. I. FERULA'GO (an alteration from the generic name). 

 Koch, umb. 97- Dorsal and commissural vittse numerous, from 

 30 to 60. Involucra constantly of 4-8 leaves. Stems usually 

 striated or angular. 



1 F. SYLVA'TICA (Bess. cont. enum. pi. vohl. et pod. p. 44. 

 no. 1368.) stem terete, striated, rather angular; leaves pinnate, 

 with 10-20 pairs of opposite bipinnate-parted leaflets; lobes or 

 segments linear, setaceous, cuspidate ; leaves of involucra ovate- 

 lanceolate, deflexed. T/ . H. Native of Volhynia, Caucasus, 

 Podolia, and at the river Don, in woods and meadows. Peuce- 

 danum officinale, Bess. prim. fl. galic. et cat. hort. crem. 1816. 

 Ferula nodiflora, Rochel. F. myriophylla, Bieb. mss. Ferulago 

 sylvatica, Rchb. icon. hot. 4. p. 371. Leaves a foot or a foot 

 and a half long. 



Wood Giant-fennel. PI. 6 feet. 



2 F. PAUCI'JUGA (D. C. prod. 4. p. 171.) stem striated, angu- 

 lar; leaves pinnate, with 4-5 pairs of opposite leaflets ; leaflets 

 bipinnatifid : lobes or segments linear ; involucra of 2-5 erect 

 leaves, which are cuspidate at the apex, and membranously 

 dilated at the base. 7/ . H. Native of Persia, at the foot of 

 the mountains about Badala, where it was gathered by Szowits. 

 Allied to F. sylvatica, but differs in the stem being more an- 

 gular, and in the leaves being 3-4 inches long, and in the leaflets 

 being only 4-5 pairs. Umbel terminal, of 12-14 very unequal 

 rays. Herb glabrous, a foot and a half high. 



Few-paired-leaved Giant-fennel. PI. 1-J- foot. 



3 F. FERULA'GO (Lin. spec. p. 356.) stem terete, striated ; 

 leaves supra-decompound ; leaflets pinnatifid, divaricate : seg- 

 ments linear, cuspidate ; leaves of involucra numerous, oblong- 

 lanceolate, reflexed. ]/ . H. Native on hills and exposed 

 places in the islands of the Mediterranean, and the adjacent re- 

 gion ; and of Transylvania and Gallicia. Spreng. umb. prod, 

 p. 82. F. nodiflora, Jacq. austr. append, t. 5. and probably of 

 all other authors. F. latiore folio, Moris, ox. sect. 9. t. 15. 

 Lob. icon. t. 779. Dodon. pempt. t. 321. f. 2. 



Ferulago or Broad-leaved Giant-fennel. Fl. June, July. PI. 

 6 to 8 feet. 



4 F. GENICULA TA (Guss. prod. fl. sic. 1. p. 366.) stem terete, 

 a little striated, gibbous at the nodi ; leaves supra-decompound ; 

 leaflets decussate : segments linear, flat, acute, stiff, rather 



awned ; floriferous branches alternate ; leaves of involucra and 

 involucels ovate-lanceolate, short ; fruit oblong-elliptic, with 

 acute prominent ribs. T{.. H. Native of Sicily and the king- 

 dom of Naples, on dry calcareous hills. F. rigida, Tenore, fl. 

 neap, append. 4. p. 15. exclusive of the synonymes. Bubon 

 rigidus, Ucria ex Guss. Bocc. mus. 2. t. 76. ? 

 Geniculate-\eaveH Giant-fennel. PI. 2 to 3 feet. 



5 F. TUYRSIFLORA (Sibth and Smith, fl. grsec. t. 280. prod, 

 no. 664.) stem angular and furrowed at the top ; floriferous 

 branches terminal, aggregate, compound ; leaves supra-decom- 

 pound ; leaflets linear, elongated, roughish ; leaves of involucra 

 4-6, linear-lanceolate. If.. H. Native of Candia, on rocks. 

 Ferulago thyrsiflora, Koch, umb. p. 98. Vittse above 30 in the 

 commissure, according to Koch, but in a specimen examined 

 there are only from 20 to 25. 



Thyrse-flowered Giant-fennel. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1825. 

 PI. 4 to 6 feet. 



6 F. SULCA V TA (Desf. atl. 1. p. 352. t. 67.) stem angular and 

 furrowed ; leaves supra-decompound ; leaflets pinnatifid : lobes 

 linear, acuminated ; leaves of involucra many, oblong-linear, re- 

 flexed. 1. H. Native of Italy, Naples, Sicily, Mauritania, 

 and Portugal, on hills. F. nodiflora, Spreng. umb. spec. p. 84. 

 but the figure of F. nodiflora in fl. grsec. is destitute of involucra, 

 and therefore does not belong to this plant ; therefore the plant 

 of Linnaeus is truly doubtful. F. Barrelieri, Tenore, in herb. 

 Merat. Ferulago nodiflora, Koch, umb. p. 98. Ligusticum 

 luteum, Poir. voy. barb. 2. p. 136. ex Poir. suppl. 3. p. 481. 

 Peucedanum Lusitanicum and rupestre, Willd. herb, ex Spreng. 

 syst. 1. p. 914. Vittse 60 in the commissure, ex Koch. 



Var. B, campdstris (Bess, in litt. ex Spreng. syst. 1. p. 914.) 

 segments of leaves linear-elongated. I/ . H. Native of Tauria. 



Furrorved-stemmed Giant- fennel. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1596. 

 PI. 3 feet. 



7 F. STRI'CTA (Spreng. in Schultes, syst. 6. p. 592.) stem 

 straight, stiff, furrowed ; leaves ternately supra-decompound, 

 straight ; leaflets triternate, triquetrous, filiform, glabrous ; 

 leaves of involucra ovate-oblong. I/. G. Native of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. 



Straight Giant-fennel. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1818. PI. 2 feet. 



SECT. II. FERULA RIA (an alteration from the generic name). 

 D. C. prod. 4. p. 172. Ferula, Koch, umb. p. 96. Vittse 3 in 

 each of the dorsal furrows, and 4 in the commissure. Involucra 

 wanting. Stems terete. 



* Stem leafy. 



8 F. COMMU NIS (Lin. spec. p. 355) stem terete, branched; 

 leaves supra-decompound, green ; leaflets linear-setaceous, flac- 

 cid ; central umbel nearly sessile : lateral ones male, peduncu- 

 late ; involucra wanting ; sheaths of upper leaves very large. 

 1[ . H. Native on hills in the region of the Mediterranean, 

 from Portugal to Greece, and of Mauritania. D. C. fl. fr. 3. p. 

 343. F. nodiflora, Lin. spec. 356? Smith, fl. graec. t. 279. 

 Dodon. pempt. p. 321. f. 1. Lob. icon. t. 778. f. 2. F. femina, 

 Plum. Tourn. Moris, umb. 35. t. 2. hist. 3. p. 309. sect. 9. t. 

 15. f. 3. Lateral umbels usually opposite, rising from the axils 

 of the sheathing petioles under the central umbel. Fruit 5 lines 

 long, and 3 lines broad. There issues from the stem when cut 

 a yellowish fetid juice, which hardens on the surface of the 

 wound. The dry dead stem is full of white pith, which easily 

 takes fire, and the Sicilians use it for tinder. Hence the fable 

 of Prometheus. In Apulia, where the plant grows in great 

 plenty, it is grateful to buffaloes, which form the chief part of 

 the subsistence of many farmers there. 



Common Giant-fennel. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1597. PI. 8 

 to 12 feet. 



