UMBELLIFERiE. 133 



down from the outside of the umhellules. Flowers small, -^ inch 

 across, slightly radiant. Cremocarp pale-green, ^ to ^ inch long, 

 attenuated towards the apex ; mericarps nearly hemispherical, 

 separating readily when ripe ; the vitta) on the commissural face 

 forming a lyre-like impression. Plant deep-green, glabrous. Stem 

 finely furrowed, usually marked with reddish lines. Leaves thin. 

 This plant is readily recognized by the long pendent involucels. 



Common Fool's Parsley. 



French, Ethuse petite Cigue. German, Ifunds Gleisse. 

 This plant is one of the most dangerous of its order, and is often mistaken by the 

 ignorant and careless for the true Parsley. When eaten, it produces vomiting, giddi- 

 ness, and other symptoms of narcotic irritant poisoning. A case is recorded, which 

 happened in Germany, of a woman putting some leaves into soup in mistake for 

 parsley, of which two of her children partook, and died in consequence. Dr. Taylor 

 also mentions a similar instance, where some ladies, after eating some of the leaves, 

 became sick and giddy, and did not recover for a considerable time : the roots have 

 also the same effects when eaten. In order to avoid the disastrous results occasioned 

 by the mistaken use of this and other plants of the same order for Parsley, it has been 

 strongly advised to banish from the vegetable garden all but the curled and crisp- 

 leaved varieties of Parsley, which are distinct enough in appearance not to mislead the 

 most casual observer. 



GENUS XIX.— F CENICULUM. Soffm. 



Calyx-limb obsolete. Petals roundish-obovate, entire, truncate, 

 involute. Cremocarp oblong- or elliptical-ovoid, not compressed ; 

 columella 2 - partite, the branches adnate to the mericarps ; 

 mericarps with 5 prominent obtusely-keeled ridges, lateral ones 

 a little broader and marginal ; interstices each with a single vitta. 

 Involucre and involucel none. 



Large plants with shining smooth green stems and decompound 

 leaves, with capillary segments. Plowers rather small, deep-yellow, 

 not radiant, in large regular compound umbels. 



The best authorities tell us that the name of this genus of plants comes from the 

 word fcenus, usury, because the seed being sown in the earth yields or is returned with 

 great increase : others, scarcely so trustworthy, say it is so called from fceuum, hay, 

 because the smell of the plant it is thought somewhat resembles hay. 



SrECIES I.— PCENICULUM VULGARE. GdrL 



Plate DCI. 

 Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XXI. Tab. 1930. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 372. 



F. officinale, Ail. Bab. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 148. Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii. p. 323 

 Anethum Foenioulum, Limn. 8m. Eag. Bot. No. 1208. 

 Mcum Fceniculum, Sprang. Sm. Eng. Fl. Vol. IT. p. 85. 



