TTMBELLirEB^. 247 



Segnients of the lower leaves either nearly orbicular or very much di- 

 vided 1. Common P. 



Segineuts of most of the leaves ovate or lanceolate ; the teeth or lobes 



very pointed 2. Greater P. 



The Aniseed is the fruit of a species of this genus (P. Atiisxim). 

 1. Common Pimpinel. Fitnpinella Saxifraga, Liiin. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 407. Burnet Saxifrage.) 



Stock short and thick, but not tuberovis. Stems erect, 1 to 2 feet hiuh, 

 not much branched, glabrous or downy at the top. Leaves very variable, 

 the radical ones iisually pinnate, with 7 to 9 pairs of broadly ovate or orbi- 

 cular segments, 6 to 9 lines long, toothed or lobed ; the upper leaves small, 

 their segments divided into a few narrow, or even hnear lobes : sometimes 

 all, even the radical leaves, have their segments once or twice pinnate, with 

 narrow lobes ; sometimes, again, the few stem-leaves are, hke the radical 

 ones, simjjly pinnate, but much smaller, or reduced to simple bracts. Um- 

 bels terminal, with from 10 to 15 rather slender rays ; the flowers white. 



In pastures, on banks, roadsides, etc., throughout Europe and Kussian 

 Asia, except the extreme north. Abundant in Britain. Fl. all summer. 



2. Greater Pimpinel. Pimpinella magna, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. -±08.) 



Very near the common P., and perhaps a mere variety. It is much larger 

 in all its parts ; the stems often more than 2 feet high, and stouter ; the seg- 

 ments of tlie leaves usually undivided, ovate or lanceolate, often 1 to IJ inches 

 long, with more pointed teeth, or, if divided, the lobes much longer and more 

 pointed than in the common P., the flowers fi'equently piak, in larger umbels, 

 and the fruit also larger. 



The general range is nearly the same as that of the common P., but it is 

 more frequent in mountainous districts and shady situations, or rich soils. 

 In Britain, chiefly in southern and eastern England and southern Ireland. 

 Fl. summer, rather late. It is probable that a further study of intermediate 

 forms, which are frequent in the south of Europe, will induce its reunion 

 with the common P. as a marked variety. 



XV. BUPLEVER. BUPLEVEUM. 



Leaves quite entire. Umbels compound, or sometimes small and iiTegu- 

 lar, with partial and usually also general involucres. Petals broad, entire, 

 yellow. Fruit ovoid or oblong, somewhat laterally compressed, withovit 

 visible calycine teeth. Carpels with 5 more or less prominent ribs, with or 

 without vittas. 



A considerable genus, widely diffused over the temperate regions of the 

 old world, and one of the few natural ones among Umhellates, but distin- 

 guished more by its entire leaves, with parallel veins and yellow flowers, than 

 by the carpological characters, which in different species correspond to dif- 

 ferent short-fruited genera. 

 Leaves broad and perfohate. Bracts of the partial involucres broadly 



ovate ; 1. Hare'e-earB. 



Leaves narrow and grasslike. 

 Annuals. Kays of the umbel few, very short, or inconspicuous. 

 Umbels of 3 or 4 short rays. Bracts lanceolate, longer than the 



flowers 2. Narrow B. 



Flowers 3 or 3 together, in little heads along the slender wiry 



stems. Bracts very small 3, Slender B. 



Perennials. Umbels of i to 8 rays. Bracts shorter than the rays . i. Falcate B. 



