20 ARBORETUM ET FRUT1CETUM BRITANNICUM. 



M 1. X. ^PIIFO'LIA L'Herit. The Parsley-leaved Yellow- Root. 



Identification. L'Her. Stirp. nov., p. 79. t. 38. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 65. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 65. ; Tor. 



and Gray, 1. p. 40. 

 Synonymes. Xanthorhlza piif<>lia ; Zanthorise a Feuilles de Persil, Fr. ; Sellerie-blattrige Gelb- 



wurz, Ger. 

 Derivation. From the Greek words xanthos, yellow, and rfiiza, a root ; applied from the deep 



yellow colour of the roots. The French name needs no explanation ; and the German is a literal 



translation of the English one. 

 Knravings. Lam. 111., t. 854. ; Bot. Mag., 1736. ; and our^. 31. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Flowers minute, dark purple, often by abortion polygamous. 



A low, SLiflfrutescent, deciduous shrub. Flowers dark purple j May. 



Height 2 it. to 3ft. Pennsylvania. Introduced in 1776. Decaying leaves 



yellowish or brown, dropping in September. 



A small shrub with yellow creeping roots, which 

 attain a large size, and throw up numerous suckers ; 

 with irregularly pinnate leaves, branched racemes, and 

 small purplish flowers (which are usually unisexual 

 from abortion) rising from the scaly buds. The flowers 

 appear early in May, and continue a month or upwards 

 before they drop off'. We have never heard of its 

 ripening seeds in Europe ; nevertheless, this may have 

 occurred, and been overlooked, from the inconspi- 

 cuousness of the shrub, and the smallness or" its fruit. 

 Suckers, or division of the root. 3K Xa " IhOThi - ""* 



ORDER II. 



ORDINAL CHARACTER. Calyx of 2 6 deciduous sepals, and 2 to many petals ; 

 the sepals and petals, when more than two, disposed ternately. Carpels 

 whorled, very rarely solitary from abortion. Evergreen shrubs, or low 

 trees, chiefly natives of warm climates. 



Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, evergreen ; full of pellucid dots, and 

 coriaceous. Properties aromatic and stimulant. Illicium is the only genus of 

 this order which contains species that will stand out in the open air in 

 Britain. 



GENUS I. 



y 



ILLrCIUM L. THE ILLICIUM, or ANISEED THEE. Lin. Syst. Polyandria 



Polygynia. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 611.; Tor. and Gray, 1. p. 42. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 77. ; Don's Mill., 

 1. p. 78. 



Synonymes. Badiane, or Anis-etoile, Fr. ; Sternanis, Ge.r. 



Derivation. The generic name Illicium is formed from the Latin word itticio, to allure, on 

 account of the agreeable aromatic smell of all the species. It is called the Aniseed Tree, from its 

 smell bearing a strong resemblance to that of aniseed. Badiane appears to be an aboriginal French 

 word ; Anis-etoile, and Sternanis, signify literally the starry anise, and may allude to the starry 

 disposition of the parts of the flower and of the capsules. 



Gen. Char. Calyx of 3-6 petal-like sepals. Carpels stellately disposed, cap- 

 sular, opening on the upper side, l-seeded. (Don's Mill., i. p. 79.) 



* 1. ILLI'CIUM FLORID A V NUM Ellis. The Florida Illicium. 



Identification. Lin. Mant., 395. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 77. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 79. 



Synonymes. The Florida Aniseed Tree, red-flowered Anise-seed Tree, Mor. Hist. ; Badiane de la 



Floride, Fr. ; unachter (spurious) Sternanis, Ger. 

 Engravings. Bot. Mag., 439. ; Lod. Bot. Cab., t. 209. ; and our Jig. 32. 



Spec. Char. y fyc. Petals 27 30, dark purple, outer ones oblong, inner 

 ones lanceolate. (Don's Mill.) An evergreen glabrous shrub. West 



