IV. 



SMYRNIUM OLUSATRUM, 

 Common Alexanders. 



Class V. Pentandria.— OrcZey- II. Digynia. 



Nat. Ord. Umbei,lifer.e. 



Gen. Char. Fruit broader than long, concave at each side, 

 with six acute dorsal ridges; interstices convex, with 

 many vittae. Calyx obsolete. Petals lanceolate or ellip- 

 tical, inflexed at the point, entire.— Irivolucre various. 

 Flowers nearly regular, partly abortive. 



Spec. Char. Cauline leaves temate, stalked, sen-ate. 



SYNONYM £S. 



rSmyrnium. MattUolus, "Sl^. Eaii Si/fi. 208. 

 ^^'^^ "j Hipposelinum Theophrasti. BauhinFiimx.lbi. Ger.Em.lOW. 



iSmyrnium Olusatrum. Lin. Sp. PI. 37G. 

 French. . . . Maceron commun. 

 Italian.. .. Maceroiie. 

 Spanish . . . Apio caballar. 

 Portuguese Olusatro. 

 German . . . Smyrnenkraut. 

 Dutch .... Veldeppe. 



Description.— The root is biennial, large, thick and long ; 

 blackish externally, and white within ; aromatic, but soiTiewhat 

 acrid and bitter. The stem is cylindrical, branched, and fur- 

 rowed, and rises to the height of three or four feet. The leaves 

 are of a bright yellow green ; the lowest thrice ternate, the up- 

 permost simply temate, wath a very broad membranous base ; the 

 leaflets aa-e very large, broadly ovate, lobed and serrated, smooth 

 and shining. It has neither general nor partial involucre. The 

 flowers are small, numerous and irregular, of a light yellow- 

 green, and arranged in very dense rounded umbels. The flo- 



