281 UMBELLIFERiE. Erigexia. 



2-6 inclies long. Involucral leaf resembling the radical one, but sessile and much smaller. 

 Umbellcts usually 3, at length shorter than the leaflets of the involucel. Petals expanding, 

 rather obtuse, flat at the tip. Anthers dark purple. Styles subulate, longer than the ovary, 

 recurved. Fruit conspicuously didymous, the commissure narrow. Carpels gibbous, one of 

 them often abortive, deeply emarginate at each end ; the faces separating between the apex 

 and the base, so that there is often a perforation between the carpels. Viltae very small, 

 indistinct, except at maturity. 



Shady rich soils, Buflalo {Dr. Kinnicuit). March - April. This genus does not well 

 accord with any of the tribes of U.mbei.lifer^, as they are characterized by the latest writers. 

 Mr. Sullivant, who first noticed the viltie, truly remarks that the plant exhibits an union of the 

 campylospermous and ccelospermous structures. It is left for tlie present in the tribe in which 

 it was placed in the Flora of North America. 



Order XLIX. ARALIACEJL. Juss. The Arali.\ Tribe. 



Calyx adherent to the ovary ; the limb usually very small, entire or toothed- 

 Petals 5-10, valvate in aestivation, rarely wanting. Stamens as many as the 

 petals. Ovary crowned with a disk, 2 - 15-celled, with a solitary susj)ended 

 ovule in each cell. Fruit drupaceous or baccate, sometimes nearly dry, the 

 carpels not separating : endocarp coriaceous or thin. Seed solitary in each 

 cell. Embrvo short, at the base of copious fleshy albumen. — Shrubs, trees or 

 perennial herbs, with compound or simple leaves which are destitute of stipules; 

 the petioles dilated and thickened at the base. Flowers mostly umbellate, often 

 polygamous ; the umbels commonly panicled or racemed. 



1. AR.4.LIA. Linn. ; Endl. gen. AlOoS. aralia. 



[A name of unknown origin.] 



Flowers mostly perfect. Limb of the calyx short, 5-toothed or entire. Petals 5, spreading. 

 Stamens 5, alternate with the petals : filaments short. Styles 5, often united below, at 

 length divaricate. Drupe baccate, 5-lobed, 5-celled ; the endocarp chartaceous. — Shrubs,, 

 trees or perennial herbs, w:ith mostly compound leaves. Umbels often panicled. 



1. Aralia racemosa, Linn. Spikenards 



Stem herbaceous, divaricately branched, smooth ; leaves ternately and quinalely de- 

 compound ; leaflets cordate-ovate, acuminate, doubly serrate ; umbels disposed in large doubly 



