178 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



that herb, blanched by being earthed-up in growing. The fruit when ripe is quite 

 black ; whence the old herbalists gave the plant the name of Olus atrum, or Black 

 Potherb. John Ray says it was called Alexanders, because in Italy it had long been 

 called Ilerha Alexandriaa, being supposed to come from Alexandria. Dr. Prior tells 

 us that the name is given on account of its being a plant of Macedon, Alexander's 

 country, and that it was formerly called Petroaelinum Mavcduaicum. It is the Hippose- 

 linuni of Theophrastus and Pliuy. 



Tribe XL— COPIANDPE^). 



Cremoearp smooth, globular, or didymous and bi-globular ; 

 columella bipartite, more or less adnate to tbe mcricarps; meri- 

 carps hemispherical or sub-globular, with the 5 primary ridges 

 depressed and flexuous or represented by furrows, the 4 secondary 

 ones more prominent. Seed concave on the side next the colu- 

 mella, the albumen being indexed at the top and bottom. 



GENUS JJJIJ.-CORIANDRUM. 



Calyx-limb of 5 unequal teeth. Petals obovate, emarginatc, 

 with an indexed lobe, the exterior ones radiant and bifid. Cremo- 

 earp globular, smooth ; columella split in the middle, adnate to 

 the mericarps at the base and apex ; mericarps falling off united, 

 hemispherical, with tbe 5 primary ridges depressed and flexuous, 

 and 4 secondary ones and tbe margins elevated into keels ; inter- 

 stices without vittao, tbe only ones present being 2 on tbe face 

 where the two mericarps meet each other. Albumen of the seed 

 excavated on tbe face next tbe columella. Involucre none. 



A glabrous herb, with the stem-leaves ternate-pinnately de- 

 compound. Flowers white or pink. 



The derivation of the name of this genus of plants is not pleasant— it has allusion 

 to its peculiar scent, and comes from the Greek word tcopiavvo* (koriannon), a bug. 



SPECIES I.-COEIANDRUI SATIVUM. Lima. 

 Plate DCXXXIL 

 Tbe only known species. 



In fields and waste places, and by the sides of rivers. Pare, 

 and scarcely even naturalized, though frequently escaping from 

 cultivation in Essex and about London. 



[England.] Annual. Summer and Autumn. 



Stem erect, 1 to 3 feet high, slender, flexuous, paniculately 

 branched. Lowest leaves stalked, pinnate or bipinnate, with 

 roundish or oval slightly lobed and crenately-cut shortly-stalked 



