PAS 



PAS 



In the first, in the wild plant, the root is 

 biennial, simple, whitish, putting forth some 

 large fibres from ihe side: the stem single, three 

 or four teet high, erect, rigid, angular, pu- 

 bescent, hollow, branched : the leaves alternate, 

 smaller than those of the cultivated kind, 

 and of a darker green ; in open situations pu- 

 bescent, especially the root-leaves: the flow- 

 ering-branches come out from the axils of the 

 leaves from top to bottom, supporting umbels 

 which arc smaller than that which terminates 

 the stem: the flowers small, yellow, v/ith infiex 

 regular petals. 



It is a native of most parts of Europe; but 

 the garden or cultivated variety has smooth 

 leaves, of a light or yellowish green colour, in 

 which it diflers from the wild plant: the stalks 

 also rise higher, and are deeper channelled : the 

 j)edunclcs are much longer, and the flowers of 

 a deeper )'ellow colour : the roots are sweeter 

 than those of carrots, and are much eaten by 

 those who abstain from animal food in Lent, or 

 eat salt-fish; and are highly nutritious. Hogs 

 are fond of these roois, and cattle will eat them. 



The second species has a perennial root, as 

 thick as the himian arm, yellow, branched: the 

 branches an inch or an inch and half in thick- 

 ness, a foot and half in length, tubercled, with 

 a corky bark : the stem from three feet to the 

 height of a man, the thickness of a finger, stri- 

 ated, covered at the base with scariose mem- 

 branaceous scales, like the Ferns; in other parts 

 very smooth and shining ; angular at top, espe- 

 cially at the branches. Primary (or root) leaves 

 r]uite simple, cordate, acutely erenate: the others 

 ternate or quinate, with the end leaflet always 

 cordate and very large ; the lateral ones ob- 

 liquely cordate, with the upper lobe shorter : 

 the lowest stem-leaves more compound, consi- 

 dered as a whole triangular, two feet \oncr, bi- 

 pinnate, having five pinnules on each side; the 

 lowest pinna pinnate, commonly with five leaf- 

 lets, the end one cordate, the rest sessile and 

 obliquely cordate : the leaflets are an inch to 

 two inches long ; the other pinnules are first 

 ternate, then simple. The other stem-leaves 

 decrease, and are first quinate, next ternate, 

 and at the branches simple. Petiole of the 

 root-leaves from the sheath to the first pinna 

 flattish above and thence angular-keeled ; on 

 the contrary, that of the branch-leaves is fur- 

 rowed. Sheaths wide striated, in the root-leaves 

 very strigose : in the stem-leaves smooth. All 

 the leaflets are hairy, especially at the back. At 

 the flowering-branches there are spathaceous 

 sheaths, which arc naked, or destitute of leaves. 

 The umbelliterous branches are very smooth ; 

 first alternate, erect, then two, three, or four 



Vol. II. 



together in a sort of whorl, two or three inches 

 long, with one or two spathaceous leaflets to- 

 wards the middle, or at the top. The universal 

 umbels have usually seven or eight rays, an inch 

 long, of a yellowish green colour: the fruits 

 flat, with the rim thicker, three or four lines in 

 diameter, and a little longer : the juice is yel- 

 low, bearing no marks of a resinous or aro- 

 matic principle. It flows out where either the 

 leaf or stalk is broken. They are both very 

 rough ; the frrmer dark green, the latter seven 

 or eight feet high : the stalks divide towards the 

 top into many horizontal branches, each ter- 

 minated by a large umbel of yellow flowers ; 

 which appear in July. It is a native of the 

 south ol' Europe. 



It commonly ripens its seeds in this climate, 

 and its juice manifests some of the qualities dis- 

 covered in the officinal Opopanax : but it is 

 only in the warmer regions of the East, where 

 this plant is also a native, that the juice con- 

 cretes into this gum-resin. It is obtained by 

 means of incisions made at the bottom of the 

 stalk. 



Culture. — Tn the first sort it is easily eflx-cted by 

 sowing fresh seed in the latter end of February, 

 or begmning of the following month, upon a 

 bed prepared in a spot of the best light, rich, 

 deep soil, in one of the most open airy quarters of 

 the garden, by being trenched one full spade 

 deep at least, or if two the better, provided the 

 depth of good staple admit, that the roots may 

 have a due depth of loose soil to run down 

 straisrht to their full lena;th. And if the ground 

 be previously trenched up in rough ridges in. 

 winter, especially where stifl" or wet, and lie 

 exposed some time to the sun and air, it will 

 be much improved for this purpose. At the time 

 of sowins. the <rround should be made level and 

 even on the surface, but not raked till alter the 

 seed is sown, which should be performed while 

 the ground is fresh stirred, or before the sur- 

 face becomes too dry, so as, in raking, the clods 

 will readily fall under the rake to bury the seed 

 regularly. 



The seed should be sown broad-cast thinlv, 

 cither all over the surface, or the groiuid niavf 

 be divided into four-feet-wide beds, as most 

 convenient, but for large quantities the former 

 is the most eligible practice. As soon as the 

 sowing is done, if light ground, it is the practice 

 with some to tread down the seeds evenly, and 

 finish with an even good raking, to cover all the 

 seeds equally, smoothing the surface. In about 

 three weeks the seeds beain to germinate, and 

 the plants soon appear above ground. When 

 thev are two or three inches higii, thev sIiouIlI 

 be thinned to recular distances, and cleaned 

 2 C 



