PARSLEY FAMILY UM BELLI FERAE 



Many species in this large family have flowers so nearly 

 alike that to identify the plants with certainty one must 

 have the fruits. The flowers are usually in umbels and the 

 leaves are in most cases compound, with the bases of the 

 petioles expanded or sheathing the stem. 



Some members of the family are poisonous, as is the 

 Poison Hemlock, which the ancient Greeks used to kill 

 prisoners and which was the death potion of Socrates. 

 Others are very valuable as garden vegetables, such as 

 Celery, Parsnip and Carrot. 



The following key is intended only for the 14 genera 

 given place in this book; for the remaining species stand- 

 ard reference works will be required. 



KEY TO GENERA 



1. Leaves thick, long, narrow, parallel veined . .Eryngium p. 215 

 Leaves not thus 2^ 



2. Flowers yellow 3 



Flowers white or greenish white 4 



3. Plant small or medium; leaves ternate Zizia p. 221 



Plant coarse, large; leaves pinnately compound . Pastinaca p. 221 



4. Stems very large, hollow, smooth, purple; flowers greenish 



white Angelica p. 222 



Plant not thus 5 



5. Stems very large, coarse, hairy; umbel very large 



Heracleum p. 222 



Plant not thus 6 



6. Stems tall, marked lengthwise with purple lines; leaves 2 or 



3 times pinnately compound Cicuta p. 219 



Stems tall, green; leaves simply pinnate Oxypolis p. 222 



Plant not thus 7 



7. Leaves palmately divided Sanicula p. 216 



Leaves pinnately or ternately compound 8 



8. Upper leaves pinnate, lowest pinnately dissected. .Stum p. 220 

 Leaves not thus 9 



9. Petals flat Erigenia p. 2 1 9 



Petals with tips turned in 10 



10. Fruit prickly Daucus p. 224 



Fruit hairy Os?norhiza p. 218 



Fruit smooth or nearly so 1 1 



11. Leaflets sharply toothed Cryptotaenia p. 220 



Leaflets coarsely and bluntly lobe'd Chaerophyllum p. 217 



214 



