178 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



The last (fig. 120), believed to be a native of the Mediterranean 

 region, and cultivated everywhere, is used as a condiment, and 

 furnishes one of the five aperitive roots. It belongs to the same genus 

 as the Caraway^ (fig. 118, 119), whose odour is very strong and 

 aromatic, and which is used for perfuming spiced bread, ^ pastry, and 

 many other aliments and drinks, and is employed in medicine as a 

 stomachic, digestive, and carminative. Its native country is un- 

 certain : some make it come from the East, others from Great 

 Britain.^ G. nigrum (Zeena Seah) and gracile E-oyle, of India, have 

 the same uses as the Caraw^ay. G. Bulhocastanum * has swollen sub- 

 terranean portions, edible for animals and even for man, called Earth 

 Chestnuts. The fruit is stomachic, and is also used to season bread. ^ 

 Anise is G. Anisum,^ believed to be of African origin, and is cultivated 

 for the use of pharmacists, confectioners, and liqueur makers, chiefly 

 in Touraine, Malta, and Spain. Its fruit (fig. 121) contains a fixed 

 oil and a crystalizable essence. It is erroneously substituted, in 

 many preparations, for Illicium anisatam, of which it has to a certain 

 extent the odour and taste, but with a mixture of acridity w^hich may 

 render it noxious. G. Panatjan ^ is considered a good aphrodisiac 

 and diuretic medicine in Java. G, Saxifraga ^ and magnum,^ French 



1 Carum Carvi L. Spec. 378 (see p. 117, note 

 2).— Nees, Off. PJl. t. 17.— Hayn. Arzn. Getv. 

 t. 19.— GuiB. loc. cit. 226, fig. 624.— LikdI. i^^. 

 Med. 37.— Berg et Schm. Off. Gew. t. 25 <?.— 

 Fluck. et Hanb. Pharmacogr. 271. 



" Often confounded with Cumin, on account 

 of its German name Kummel. 



^ A. DC. Geogr. Bot. 663. Anethum segetum 

 L. or Ridoljia segetum (Moa. Fl. Sard. ii. 212, t. 

 75) is Carum Eidolfia B. H. According to these 

 authors it is perhaps the common Parsley or 

 one of its forms. In Persia and southern 

 Europe it has nearly the same uses as the 

 Caraway, ^ 



^ Koch, Umb. 121.— DC. Frodr. iv. 115, n. 3. 

 — RosENTH. op. cit. 532. — Bunium BulbocastaHum 

 L. Spec. 349.— Lamk. III. t. 197.— -5. minus 

 GouAN. — Scandix Bulhocastanum M(Ench. — 

 Sium Balbocasta?ium Sprexg. {Pigiiut, Earthnut^ 

 Jarnut^ Yarmtt, Xippeniut, &c.). 



^ Btnnum denudatum DC. and ferulcefolium 

 Desf. have also subterranean portions filled 



with juice, swollen like nuts and edible. 

 Cryptotcenia canadensis DC. which is a Carum 

 (p. 121), is also said to have an edible subter- 

 ranean portion. 



^ Pimpinella Anisum L. Spec. 399. — Hayxe, 

 Arzn. Gew. t. 22.— Nees, Off.FJl. t. 17.— Lindl. 

 Fl. Med. 38.— GuiB. loc. cit. 223, fig. 623.— 

 Berg et Schm. Off. Gew. t. 18 </.— Fluck. et 

 Hanb. op. cit. 276. — Anisum vulgare Clus. Hist. 

 ii. 202. — A. officinale Mcexch. — Sison Anisum 

 Spreng. — Ajnum Anisum Targ. 



" Pimpinella Panatjan Mirb. ex Eosexth. op. 

 cit. 533. 



8 Pimpinella saxifraga L. Spec. 378.— Hayn. 

 Arzn. Gew. 7, t. 20.— Grek. et Godr. Fl.de Fr. 

 i. 727. — Tragoselinum saxifrayum Mcexch. Methl 

 99. — T. minus Lamk. 



" Pimpinella magna L. Mantiss. 217. — DC. 

 Prodr. iv. 119.— Hayn. loc. cit. t. 21.— Gren. 

 et Godr. loc. cit. i. 727. —Tragoselinum magnum 

 Mcench. — T. majus Lamk. 



