121 



N. Ord. UMBELLIFER.E. 

 Tribe Amminea. 



Genus Carum,* Linn, (amend.). B. & H., i, p. 890 (includes 

 Petroselinum, Ptychotis, &c.). Species about 50, mostly 

 natives of temperate and warm regions of the old world. 



121. Carum Carui, t Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. 1, p. 263 (1753). 



/ 



Caraway. 



Syn. Bunium Carui, Bieb. 



Figures. Woodville, t. 41 ; Hayne, vii, 1. 19 ; Steph. & Ch., t. 59 ; Nees, 

 t. 276 ; Berg & Sch., t. 25 c ; Syme, E. Bot., iv, t. 582 (bad) ; Reichenb., 

 Ic. Fl. Germ., xxi, t. 1872; Nees, Gen. Fl. Germ. 



Description. Biennial (or annual), root tapering, brown, often 

 branched below. Stem erect, slender, cylindrical, hollow, faintly 

 striate, smooth, much branched, branches ascending. Koot- 

 leaves several, 6 9 inches long, on rather long petioles, narrowly 

 triangular in outline, bi- or tri-pinnate, primary pinnae sessile, 

 opposite, closely placed so as to overlap at the base, broadly 

 triangular in outline, ultimate divisions linear, acuminate, glabrous, 

 pale green ; stem-leaves alternate, small, with large sheathing 

 scarious brown petioles, pinnate or bipinnate, the ultimate seg- 

 ments very narrow and pointed ; at the base of the sheathing 

 petiole on either side is a sessile pinnate stipule with filiform 

 segments. Umbels numerous, long-stalked, often irregular, of 

 about 8 10 slender rays, involucre of 1 or few filiform bracts, or 

 wanting, partial involucres or a single small bract. Flowers 

 small, about -^ inch across, the central ones usually barren. 

 Calyx-tube obsolete. Petals broadly oval, notched, with an entire 

 inflexed apex, white, stylopod conical. Fruit nearly inch long, 



* Carum, a form of Careum, in Greek icdpiov and Kupoe, the classical name, 

 but very doubtfully referable to this species. 



f Carui was a name used by the mediaeval pharmacists for the drug. 

 Though it looks like a Latin genitive (as though for carui semina) it is said to 

 be from the Arabian name Karawya. The English " Caraway " is clearly a 

 further corruption of the same word. 



