6 Mr. J. Ball on some British species of the genus CEnanthe. 



Severn at Deerhm-st, Gloucestershire, where it was gathered by 

 Mr. E. Lees. The following description will establish the 

 identity : — 



CEnanthe silaifolia. — Radix e napulis oblongis clavatis fasciculatis 

 in fibrillam desinentibus. Caulis teres, striatus, fistulosus, alteme 



ramosus, 1 — 2-pedalis. Folia radicalia ; ceetera omnia sub- 



conformia, bipinnata ; foliolis fere sequalibus ; pinnulis acutis, in- 

 tegerrirais, inferiorum lanceolatis, superiorum linearibus ; folia 

 suprema pinnata. Petioli inferiores elongati basi vaginantes, supe- 

 riores omnes breves 1 — 2-pollicares. Umbellse solitariee, 5 — 8-ra- 

 diatse, primaria (in speciminibus nostris) subsessilis, accessorise ra- 

 morum terminales longiuscule pedunculatse. Involucrum universale 

 nullum seu foliolis 1 — 7, setaceis, umbellam sub mediam longis. 

 Urabellulae muitiflorcC, densae, floribus externis longius pedicellatis, 

 ssepe (semper ?) sterilibus ; internis subsessilibus. Involucella e 

 foliolis plurimis, latiusculis, albo-marginatis, nonnullis basi con- 

 natis, umbellula florigera exigua paulo brevior. Marginis calycini 

 liberi segmenta prse corollam magna, lanceolata, tria exteriora 

 longiora. Petala minuta, parum insequalia, late obcordata, ad 

 tertium fissa. Styli divergentes. Stylopodium majusculum, coni- 

 cum. Diachenium (haud omnino maturum) exiguum, clavatum 

 (ad basin ut videtur haud incrassatum), interne quidquam con- 

 tractum. 



Comparing the description of Bieberstein, referred to above, 

 with those of Koch and Bertoloui, there can be but little dou^bt 

 that this plant is the (E. silaifolia of those Avriters. The two 

 latter authors differ in one respect, Koch describing the fruit as 

 cylindrical and " basi callo cinctis," as noticed by Babington ; it 

 is probable however that the same plant is intended by both these 

 distinguished wiiters. This species, which differs from all its 

 allies by the similarity of structm-e in all the leaves and the 

 shorter and uniform leaflets, is further distinguished from the 

 true (E. peucedanifolia by its very much smaller petals and fruit, 

 and from CE. Lachenalii by the structm-e of the root. 



By far the most common species of this group is the (E. La- 

 chenalii of Babington, and apparently the plant of Gmelin, Koch, 

 DeCandoUe and Bertoloni. I may premise that there is some 

 difference in the various descriptions of the root, upon which, 

 owing to the general neglect of this portion of most plants 

 amongst British botanists, my specimens do not allow me to give 

 an opinion. The exact Bertoloni says, "fibris inferne incrassatis 

 in napulos cylindraceo-clavatis fibrilla terminatis," whilst Koch 

 and Babington seem to intend fibres thickened and tuberous from 

 the top. I have specimens of this plant from several parts of 

 England, from the coast of Galloway and from near Dunbar in 

 Scotland. I do not find the difference which Mr. Babington 



