370 THE CARROT FAMILY. 



GOLDEN MEADOW PARSNIP. 



Ziza aurea. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Carrot. Yelloiu. Scentless. Florida and Texas to Canada. April-June. 



Flotuers : growing in umbels with numerous rays and having no involucre, the 

 bractlets of the invoiucel very small. The central flower and fruit of the rays 

 being sessile. Frui'^ : oblong. Leaves : those from the base with very long peti- 

 oles, twice or thrice ternately compound; the leaflets ovate, sharply serrate; those 

 of the upper stem ternate and almost sessile. Stem : one to three feet high, 

 branched, erect; smooth. 



This genus of the carrot family was at one time confused with the Thas- 

 piums, perhaps because there is so strong a similarity between their foliage. 

 It is, however, now well established on its own merits and can always 

 be distinguished by its wingless fruit. 



Z. cordata, heart-leaved Alexanders, as its specific name would imply, 

 shows as its most characteristic feature the shape of its radical leaves, 

 they being long petioled, rounded cordate, crenate and quite dissimilar from 

 those of the upper stem which are from three to five times divided. Usually 

 the plant is tall and branching and has the lower part of its stem quite stout. 



WATER HEMLOCK. SPOTTED COWBANE. 

 nUSQUASH ROOT. 



Ciciita niacidata. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Carrot, White. Scentless, Florida and Mississippi nort/nuard. July, August. 



Flo7uers : minute; growing in large, loose, many rayed umbels. Involucre: 

 usually wanting. I^ractlets of the involucels, narrow. Calyx: five-toothed. 

 Fruit: oval or ovate, with six oil tubes in each carpel. Leaves: compound; 

 twice or thrice-pinnately divided, the segments lanceolate, or oblong-lanceolate, 

 long pointed at the apex; deeply serrate, with veinlets extending to the borders; 

 glabrous. Stem : stout ; two to six feet high ; hollow ; glabrous and finely 

 streaked with purple. 



As 'long ago as when the Jews stoned their criminals to death, it is 

 thought that they knew of the bitter and poisonous properties of certain 

 umbelliferous plants and that they lessened the violence of such deaths by 

 mingling their juices with the myrrh which the victims were given to drink. 

 Even the potion which Socrates drank is believed to have been made from 

 such, possibly from Conium maculatum, the poison hemlock so often seen 

 growing in waste grounds. 



