Meum.] UMBELLIFERjE. 181 



Umbels compound ; bracts linear, 1-3, or ; bracteoles 4-8, small ; 

 flowers white or purplish. Calyx-teeth obsolete. Petals acute, narrowed 

 to the base, sometimes with a short inflexed point. Disk-lobes depressed, 

 margins entire. Fruit ovoid-oblong, subterete, commissure broad, carpo- 

 phore 2-partite ; carpels ^-terete, primary ridges acute ; vittse many ; 

 styles very short. Seeds concave ventrally. — Distkib. Mts. of W. Europe. 

 —Etym. Perhaps the Greek ficov. 



M. athamant'icum, Jaeq. ; stem subsimple, leaves oblong. 

 Alpine pastures, from Wales and York to Aberdeen and Argyll ; ascends to 

 near 1,400 ft. in the Highlands ; fl. June-July. — Rootstoch elongate, crowned 

 with fibres. Stem 6-18 in. Leaf-segments multifid, spreading in all direc- 

 tions ; petiole as long as the blade. Umbels many-rayed; bracts few; 

 bracteoles membranous, subunilateral ; some flowers often male only. Fruit 

 brown, J in. — Rootstock eaten in Scotland. 



28. LIGUS'TICUM, L. Lovage. 



Perennial, glabrous herbs. Leaves 1-3-ternately pinnate. Umbels com- 

 pound, many-rayed ; bracts many, few, or ; bracteoles many ; flowers 

 white pink or yellow. Calyx-lobes small or 0. Petals notched, point 

 long inflexed. Dish-lobes conical, thick. Fruit ovoid or oblong, sub- 

 terete or dorsally compressed, commissure broad, carpophore 2-partite ; 

 primary ridges prominent, acute or winged, lateral often broadest ; vittse 

 many, slender, or obscure. Seed flat, or sub-concave ventrally. — Dis- 

 TitiB. N". temp, regions ; species 20. — Etym. Liguria, where a species 

 abounds. 



L. scot'icum, L. ; leaves 2-ternately pinnace. Ealoseias, Fries. 

 Rocky coasts, local, Northumberland and all Scotland to Shetland ; N. Ireland ; 

 fl. July. — Dark green, shining. Rootstoch stout, branched. Stem 1-3 ft., 

 erect, sparingly branched, grooved, terete, fistular. Leaflets 1-3 in., ovate- 

 or orbicular-cordate, 3-lobed or -partite, crenate. Umbel-rays 8-12, 1-2 in. ; 

 bracts few, and bracteoles linear-subulate. Flowers white or pink, nearly 

 regular. Fruit ^ in., brown ; ridges winged ; styles short, recurved. — 

 Disteib. Europe (Arctic), from Denmark northd., N. Asia, N. America. — 

 Leaves eaten as a pot-herb, root aromatic and pungent. 



29. SELI'NUM, L. 



Perennial hei'bs. Leaves pinnately decompound. Umbels compound, 

 rays many ; bracts few or ; bracteoles many, small ; flowers white or 

 yellowish. Calyx-teeth obsolete. Petals 2-lohed, point inflexed. Disk-lobes 

 entire, conical or depressed. Fruit ovoid or oblong or rounded, commis- 

 sure broad, carpophore 2-partite ; carpels ^-terete, primary ridges winged, 

 lateral broadly ; vittse 1 to each dorsal furrow ; styles short or long. 

 Seed biconvex. — Distbib. Temp. N. hemisphere and S. Africa ; species 

 about 25. — Etym. treA^i^, from the moori-shaped carpels. 



S. carvifo'lium, L. ; nearly glabrous, stem angled furrowed, leaves 3- 

 pinnate, leaflets ovate lower pinnatifid, segments lanceolate. Milk Parsley. 



