UMBELLIFEBjE. 161 



Order XXXIV. umbellif ERiE. 



Herbs ; internodes usually fistular. Leaves alternate, pinnately or 

 3-nately compound, rarely simple ; petiole dilated at the base. Inflorescence 

 of usually simple or compound umbels, with an involucre of whorled bracts 

 at the base of the primary rays, and of bracteoles at the secondary ; rarely 

 capitate. Flowers small, usually honeyed and proterandrous, all 2-sexual 

 and similar, or outer in each umbel male with large unequal petals and 

 long stamens, inner female or 2-sexual. Calyx superior ; limb or 

 5-toothed. Petals 5, epigynous, usually obovate or obcordate, tip often 

 inflexed, imbricate induplicate or valvate in bud, white, rarely pink yellow 

 or blue. Stamens 5, at the base of the disk, filaments incurved ; anthers 

 versatile. • Disk epigynous, usually of 2 lobes confluent with the bases of 

 the styles. Ovary 2-celled ; styles 2, erect or recurved, stigmas obtuse ; 

 ovules 1 in each cell, pendulous, anatropous, raphe ventral. Fruit of 2 

 indehiscent, dorsally or laterally compressed carpels, separated by a com- 

 missure ; carpels each 5- or 9-ridged, adnate to or pendulous from an entire 

 or split slender axis {carpophore) ; pericarp often traversed by oil-canals 

 (vittce). Seed pendulous, usually adherent to the pericarp, testa membra- 

 nous, albumen copious dense ; embryo minute, next the hilum, cotyledons 

 ovate-oblong or linear, often very unequal. — Distrib. Chiefly N. Europe, 

 N. and W. Asia, and N. Africa ; genera 152 ; species 1,300. — Affinities. 

 Intimate with Araliaceoz and Corneal. — Properties. 1. Poisonous, acrid, 

 watery sap in Conium, Cicuta, (Enanthe. 2. Esculent in Angelica, 

 Samphire, Parsley, Celery, &c. 3. Sugar and starch abound in Carrot, 

 Parsnip, Pig-nut. 4. Milky foetid gum-resins in stems of Asafaitida, 

 Galbanum, &c. 5. Essential oils in the fruit of Anise, Dill, Caraway, 

 Coriander, and Cummin. — The ridges are normally 9 on each carpel ; viz. 

 5 primary, of which 2 are lateral next the commissure, 1 dorsal, 2 inter- 

 mediate ; and 4 secondary, alternating with these. The vittae occur 

 between the ridges, rarely in them ; normally there are 6 in each carpel, 

 4 between the primary ridges and 2 on the commissural face. 



Series 1. HETEROSCIA'DIEiE. Umbels simple, or very irregularly compound, 

 or flowers capitate. Vittce or obscure. See 35. Caucalis. 



Tribe I. H YDROCOT'YLEffi . Fruit laterally much compressed, com- 

 missure narrow 1. Hydrocotyle. 



Tribe II. SANIC ULEiE. Fruit subterete, or dorsally compressed ; com- 

 missure broad. 



Leaves spinous. Umbels densely capitate 2. Eryngium. 



Leaves palmate. Bracts very large 2*. Astrantia. 



Leaves palmate. Fruit with hooked spines 3. Sanicula. 



Series 2. HAPLOZYGTEiE. Umbels compound. Ridges subequal or primary 

 the most conspicuous (except in 22*. Coriandrum). Vittce usually obvious. 



Tribe III. AMMI NEfE. Fruit laterally compressed ; commissure narrow. 

 Section 1. Smyrn'iese. Fruit short, ovoid or didymous ; ridges not winged . 

 Seed grooved ventrally. 



Vittas solitary in the furrows ; ridges slender 4. Physospermum. 



M 



