402 WATER-HEMLOCK. 



whitish, annular, divided by transverse partitions into several 

 large cells, and furnished with many fibres, disposed in whorled 

 fascicles *. The stem is erect, large, hollow, branched, leafy, 

 slightly striated, glabrous, light green, from two to four feet in 

 height ; the lower flowering branches are alternate, shorter 

 than the stem, the uppermost opposite, longer than the stem. 

 The leaves are alternate, petiolate, biternate ; the lower ones 

 sometimes triternate or pinnated, and from twelve to sixteen 

 inches in length ; the leaflets with lanceolate, deeply serrated, 

 nearly sessile segments ; the serratures whitish at the points. 

 The umbels are large, of many rays, both opposite the leaves 

 and terminal, with an involucre of a few linear pinnatifid 

 leaves, or wanting, and an involucel of numerous subulate 

 reflex-spreading leaves. The calyx is divided into five small 

 ovate-deltoid, acute, spreading segments. The corolla is white, 

 sometimes with a slight tinge of green or flesh colour ; of five 

 obcordate acute petals, inflexed at the points. The five 

 filaments are subulate, white, spreading, longer than the petals, 

 tipped with didymous flesh-coloured anthers. The germen is 

 ovate-turbinate, glabrous, supporting two short styles, at first 

 connivent, erect, afterwards divaricating, terminated by simple 

 stigmas. The fruit is roundish, compressed at the sides, 

 didymous, crowned with the teeth of the calyx, the fleshy disk 

 and the divaricating styles, and separating into two carpels. 

 (See Gen. Char.) Plate 46, fig. 1, (a) calyx; (6) entire 

 flower, magnified ; (c) fruit. 



The Water-Hemlock is found in ditches, and by the mar- 

 gins of rivers and lakes, though rather local in England, but is 

 more frequent in the lowlands of Scotland. It flowers in July 

 and August. 



Cicuta was a name given by the Latins to the space between 

 the joints of a reed, used as a shepherd's pipe, and hence applied to 



* Towards the end of autumn, the root for the succeeding summer is 

 formed out of the lower part of the stalk ; this is divided transversely into 

 many large unequal cells, so that it becomes specifically lighter than water, 

 and in winter, when the rivers or pools swell is buoyed up. The old root 

 then rots, floats all the winter, and in rivers is frequently carried to great 

 distances. In the spring the old root is washed away, and the new one, on 

 coming near the soil, sends out many slender fibres, by which it is again 

 fixed, grows and flowers. Watson in Phil. Trans. 



