472 



STRUCTURE AND LIFE HISTORIES 



that the numerous flower-stalks are of such relative 

 lengths as to bring all the flowers to substantially the same 

 plane (Fig. 356), and that the outer flower buds open first; 

 in other words the anthesis is centripetal. Some of the 



Fig. 35S.- 



-Heracleum lanatum (Parsley family), 

 the margin of an umbel. 



Individual flower from 



Fig. 356. — A compound umbel of cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum). 



genera of this family {e.g.j caraway, parsley, parsnips, 

 carrots) are edible, while, as often happens in other 

 families also, some of their near relatives {e.g., the water- 

 hemlock, Cicuta) are very poisonous. 



