rENTAlSDRIA. DIGYNIA. 35 



r«m^m,—resemblmg; a red kidney-bean attached transversely to the pedicels. The root i^ freouentlv 

 forked The celebnty of this plant, and the extensive commerce which was formerly earned on with it* 

 root, show how much more depends upon prejudice and fashion, in such matters, than upon intHn^ic wor h 

 Its virtues of any kind, are certainly very triv.ul-though it is slightly stimulant, and not unpleasantly art' 

 maOc to the taste. Some years ago, this species occurred frequently in the rich woodlands about the fo.Ts 

 of Brandywme, and m the Great Va ley ; but itis now becoming rather scarce,~and, together wih some o? 

 ©ill- other coy native vegetables^ will doubtless ere long totally disappear from this vkiniiy 



b. Involucre mostly 0. -f Involucellate. 



114. HERACLEUM. Mitt. Gen. 264. 



[Dedicated to Hercules; who is said to have added a knowledge of Botany to his other exploits.] 



Petals emarginately inflected. Fruit dcrsally compressed, flat, striaj 3; margin membranaceous- 



H. LA^ATUM. Mx. Villous; leaves trifoliate; folioles petiolate, large, subpalmate-lobed; seeds orbicular 



Valgo — Cow Parsnep. 



Fl. Latter end of May: Fr. mat. Last ot July. 



Jlab- Bottom lands, along creeks: Brandywine: frequent. 4, to 6 or 8 feet high: flowers white. 



Obs. This is rather the largest of our umbelliferous plants; though the Angelica atropurpurea closely ap- 

 proaches it, in magnitude. The common petioles (as occurs also in Angelica, Ligusticuni, and some othersA 

 are connected, at bases with reauirkabiy large, membranaceous, ventricose stipules. 



115. ANGELICA. Nutt. Gen. 270, 



[Lat. "ab ang«/ica virtute;" from its supposed extraordinary virtues.] 



Fruit elliptic, dorsally compressed; ridges 3, dorsal acute; intervals grooved; marg-in alated, 



A. ATROPURPUREA. JFi7Zd Leaflets sublobed, subsessile, outmost pair coadunate; terminal often 3 lobed.. 



Synon. A- triquinata. Big. Fl. Bost? Vulgo—Commoa Angelica. 



Fl- Latrer end of May. Fr. mat. Middle of July. 



Hab- Rich, low grounds: Forks of Brandywine: frequent. 4 to 6 feet high: flowers greenish white. 



Obs. A powerfully aromatic plant; with very large decompound leaves, and large globose umbels. The 

 iiollow stem is often nearly the size of a man's arm, at base. Schajpf speaks of the root as bein^ poisonous. 



A. TRIQUINATA. Nutt. Lateral leaflets oblong-ovate, sharply serrate; terminal subrhomboid, subsessile. 

 Fl. Middle of July, and after. Fr. mat. J^atter end of September. 



Sab. Rich woodlands; and low meadow grounds: frequent. 2 to 5 feet high: flowers white. 



Obs. This is undoubtedly Mr- Nuttall's A. triquinata; and as certainly, I think, Jioi Dr. Rigelow's 

 Whether it be Michaux's plant of that name,— or the Ferula villosa, of Pursh, (which the Editors of th^ 

 New York catalogue suppose to be synonymous,) I am unable to determine. It is usuaily'^aboiit three 

 feet high— sometimes four or live; the stem rather slender, and villous above,— as are the peduncles and 

 umbels. The terminal leaflets can scarcely be called rhomboidal; but are rather oval, aad tapering at baser 

 and often petiolate- 



116. CICUTA. Nutt. Gen. 276. 

 [A Latin name for the hollow stem, or internode of plants; applied to this Genus.] 



F;-uit subovate, laterally compressed, scored with 5 obtuse ridges, and 4 intermediate tuberculate grooves. 



C. MACUi,ATA. Nutt. Petioles membranaceous, 2 lobedattop; leaflets lanceolate; serratures mucronatej ' 

 Vulgo-—WM Parsnep. Spotted Cow-baije. Water Hemlock. 

 Fl- Last of June, and after- Fr. mat. Middle of September. 



ffab. Low meadow grounds, and bordersof rivulets: frequent. 4 to&feet high: flowers white. 



Obs. The whole plant, in open grounds, is purplish and spotted; not so much so in the shade: the ripi* 

 seeds are highly aromatic. It is an active poison; and children have been destiov^^d by eating the root, ft 

 Hiistake, for that of Uraspermum, or Sweet Cicely. 



117. MYRRHIS. Nutt. Gen. 277. 

 [An ancient Greek name; perhaps from .''/i/JTAa, an odoriferous gum.] 



J>-uit sublinear, solid and angular; ridges rather acute; apex attenuated, or crowned witk the styla 

 M. CANADENSIS. Nutt. Leaves ternate; leaflets ovate, incisely and doubly serrate; peduncle? by pj. 

 Synon. Sison Canadense. Aluhl. Mx: Willd- Chaerophyllum canadense. Vh. fy Ell. Tu/go— Hone-w 

 Fl. Last of May, til! October. Fr. mat. Beginning of Scjitember, and after 



Mab. Woodlands; and shaded spots about houses: common. About 2 feet high: flowers while. 

 Obs- The coromoB petioles are channelled; the chanasls scariosely marginate. 



