PARSNIP. 141 



pinnate small leaves, and a spare umbel of pinkish flowers. 

 The most remarkable point is that the slender bracts turn 

 straight downwards. It is poisonous, though so unattractive, 

 and when eaten in mistake for true Parsley has very bad effects. 



The Masterwort (Imperatoria ostruthium), I have never 

 found; it has twice-ternate leaves, and alternate flower-stalks. 



Nor has the Milk Parsley (Selinum palustre), come in my 

 way. It is a tall plant, four feet high, with white flowers, and 

 a rough furrowed stem. 



The Lovage (Ligiisticum), family is the last in this group. 

 The two members appertain to Scotland and Cornwall. They 

 have twice-ternate leaves and white flowers. 



The Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), grows on the edges of fields 

 among the chalk downs of Wiltshire. It has yellow flowers 

 and glossy leaves. When cultivated, its root is very whole- 

 some and nutritious ; a curious thing, surely, that in this tribe 

 some plants should be so good and some so bad, and that 

 cultivation should remove the noxious qualities of some, and 

 boiling those of others. 



The Sulphur-wort (Peucedanum officinale), is the contribu- 

 tion of a Scotch friend, who procured it from the west coast. 

 Its leaves are five times divided, the segments narrow, and the 

 flowers buff. 



The Hartworts (Tordylium), are very rare, one of them 

 doubtfully British ; the flowers vary from white to pink, the 

 umbels are far- spread, and the stem rough with bristles. 



The Cow Parsnip (Heracleum spondylium), so common as to 

 be found in every meadow and hedgerow early in summer, has 

 large flat umbels, the outer florets being much larger than those 

 towards the centre. The petals are more or less pink ; the 

 large, dull green, pinnate leaves are much less divided than 

 those of the generality in the Umbellifers. 



The contradictory qualities of this order are thus accounted 

 for in the " Penny Cyclopaedia : " All the poisons of umbelli- 

 ferous plants are of an alkaline nature ; and this quality is dis- 



