144 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



CHERVIL.— SCANDIX. 



Natural order, Umbettatce. A genus of the 

 Pentandria Digynia class. 



The Greeks called this herb Xa^'puAAo*/, 

 Cheer ephyllum, either from its numerous 

 leaves, or, as most old herbalists suppose, 

 from the cheerfulness, or joy and gladness, 

 which, they affirm, the leaves of this plant 

 produced in those who ate them. The 

 Latins followed the same word, with little 

 variation, as Columella calls it ChcErophyllum. 

 Most of the European languages seem to 

 have derived the name of this vegetable 

 from the same source ; the Dutch calling it 

 Kervell, the Germans Korffol, the Italians 

 Cerefoglio, the French du Cerfeuil, and by 

 our oldest botanists it is written Cheruill. 



The garden chervil, Scandix cerefolium, is 

 said to be a native of the Austrian Nether- 

 lands. Aiton ranks it among: the indigenous 

 plants of England ; Gerard takes no notice 

 of its country, but says, " The common cher- 



