A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



divided: flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular; sepals 

 4; jiftals 4 or 0; st:uuens S, the outer opposite the 

 p»>tals. or 4, rarely fe%ver: ovary inferior, 1-4-relled, 

 each cell 1-ovuled: fruit nut-like, often crowned by the 

 calvx. 



tight genera and about 100 species are known, of 

 genenil distribution. These are most abundant in the 

 southern hemisphere of the Old \\ orld. They are repre- 

 sente^l in South .Vinerica and elsewhere by the queer 

 Gunneraand in the eastern United States by Hippuris, 

 Myriophylhun and Proserpinaea. The fiuuily is closely 

 related to the Onagrace;p, but differs in having but 1 

 ovule in each cell of the ovary. 



The aquatic forms are I'trieularia-like and floating, 

 with slender stems and either finely pectinate leaves 

 with filiform divisions (Myriophylluni) or linear and 

 entire leaves (Hippuris). (lunnera of South .\merica 

 has broad kidney-shaped leaves varying from small to 

 gigantically hu-ge. The leaves of this genus in Costa 

 Rica jire said to be so large as to give shelter to three 

 men on horseback. 



The fruits of Gunnera macrophylla are used as a 

 stimulant in Java. The giant leaves, six feet broad, of 

 Gunnera chileiisis are used in Chile for tanning skins. 



Two species of Gunnera are almost, or quite, hardy 

 in the mid-eastern Tnitcd States, and are grown for 

 luxuriant lawn foUage. Several species of the aquatic 

 Myriophyllum are in cultivation, one of which is 

 parrot's feather {M. proserpinacoides). 



Order 45. UMBELLiFLORa; 



169. Araliaceae (from the genus Arabia, the meaning 

 of which is unknown). Ginseng Family. Fig. 45. Herbs, 

 shrubs, or trees, often pricklj- or cUmbing: stems solid, 

 pithy: leaves usually alternate, simple, or pinnately 

 or ternately compound: flowers bisexual or unisexual, 

 small, regular, epigynous, commonly in umbels; sepals 

 minute, often almost wanting; petals 5, rarely more, 

 valvato or imbricated, sometimes cohering at the apex 



45. Akaliace-k: 1. Aralia, a. flower; b, floral diagram. 2. 

 Hedera. portion of infloreacence. UMBELl,irEn.E: 3. Cicuta, 

 ififlorfrHCrnci;. 4, Foeniculum, a, flower: 6, dehiscing fruit. 5. 

 Art^lia. fruit. 6. Apium, fruit. 7. a, b, and c, fruits of Umbel- 

 Iifer», cro«i-«<:ction. 



and di'ciduous as a cap; stamens usually 5, alternate 

 with the petals, and inserted at the edge of an epigynous 

 disk, rarely twice or thrice as many; ovary inferior, 

 'i-l.vcelled; cells 1-ovuled; .styles as many as the car- 

 jicls: fruit a berry, rarely splitting into segments. 



I'ifty-iine genera and about 400 s])ecies are dis- 

 triliuleil in tro])iral .and lemijcrate regions of both 

 Iirinis])lH'ri'S. The two great centers of distribution are 

 tropical .\merica and the Malay Peninsula. The family 

 is very closely related to the Umbelliferie, but differs in 

 the berry-like fruit with more numerous carpels. 



The leaves of the EngUsh ivy ( Hcdera Helix) were 

 used in medicine in olden times. The roots of ginseng 

 (I'nnax (rinscng and I'anaj: quinqmJoUuDi) are much 

 prizwl in China where they are carried about on the 

 per.son as a charm against disease. These roots are 

 now extensively and profitably cultivated in America 

 for the Chinese trade. The roots of Arnlin niidicauHs 

 (American sarsaparilla) are considered a tonic. Chinese 

 rice-paper is made from the pith of Tdrapanax papyri- 

 ferum simply by cutting the pith sjiirully into thin sheets. 

 Many Araliaceae are grown as ornamental plants. 



Many genera are cultivated in .\merica. Among 

 these are; Acanthopanax; Aralia (including Spikenard, 

 Hercules' Club or IDevil's Walking-club, Wild .Sarsapa- 

 rilla, Bristly Sarsaparilla, Chinese Angelica Tree); 

 Dizygotheca; Fatsia; Oreopanax; Polyscias; Pseudo- 

 panax; Hedera (English Ivy); and Panax (Ginseng). 



170. Umbelliferae (from the predominating type of 

 flower cluster). Parsley Family. Fig. 45. Herbs or 

 rarely shrubs: stems often hollow: leaves alternate, 

 rarely simple, usually ternately or pinnately compound : 

 flowers minute, bisexual, regular or the outer irregular, 

 epigynous, borne in simple or compound umbels; 

 sepals minute or wanting; petals 5, valvate and 

 incurved in the bud; stamens 5, alternating with the 

 petals, inserted around an epigynous disk; ovary 

 2-celled, inferior, each cell 1-seeded; styles 2: fruit 

 very special, consisting of 2 dry, ribbed or winged, 

 1-seeded, indehiscent carpels (meriearps), which sep- 

 arate at the base but remain attached at the top to a 

 very slender and flexuous Y-shaped stalk (carpophore) 

 from which they dangle; between or under the ribs 

 are oil-tubes. 



About 231 genera and 1,500 species are very com- 

 monly found in all boreal temperate and subtropical 

 lands, but are rare in the tropics except in the moun- 

 tains. The UmbeUiferse is a distinct family, closely 

 related to the AraUaceae, and more distantly to the 

 Cornacea?. The umbels, the inferior ovary and the 

 peculiar fruit are distinctive. 



■The leaves are exceedingly diverse in size, shape 

 and extent to which compounded. Those of Eryngium 

 are sword-shaped, or yucca-hko, often spiny; those of 

 Hydrocotyle are simple and often peltate. Azorella 

 of the Andes and New Zealand is turf-like or cushion- 

 like, a xerophytic adaptation. Some species of Angelica 

 are immense herbs many feet high with enormous 

 leaves. The flowers, in general, are uniform in structure 

 and appearance, the greatest diversity being in the fruit . 

 Economic plants are abundant in the Umbellifera' ; 

 between 40 and 50 have been hsted by some authors. 

 Various alkaloids and other compounds, some very 

 poksonous, together with many kinds of resins, pro- 

 duced in the foliage, roots or seeds, form the basis of 

 their economic importance. Plants used for food are 

 celery {Apium grnveolens), carrot {Daucns Carota), and 

 parsley {I'rIro.wUnum sativum). Those used for flavoring 

 are caraway (Carum Carui), anise (Pimpinella Anisum), 

 Bweet Cicely (OsmorhizaorScandix), chervil (Anthriscus 

 Cerefolium.),d'M.iAnethuingraveolens),iennc\(Fa:niculum 

 vulgare), lovage {Levisticum officinale). Very poisonous 

 plants are poison hemlock (Conium, maculalum), fool's 

 parslf^y (Jilhum Cynapiiim) and others. The following 

 drugs are obtained from this family: coriander (Conan- 

 drum mlivuiii), ammoniac resin (from Dorema Ammon- 



