66 PENTANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Coriandrum. 



In hedges ftnd waste ground, especially near towns and villages, 

 frequent. 



Biennial. June, July. 



Root tap-shaped, whitish, fleshy. Stem from 3 to 5 feet high, erect, 

 round, hollow, glaucous, polished, copiously spotted with pur- 

 ple ; remaining long bleaching in the hedges through the au- 

 tumnal months. Leaves large and repeatedly compound j leaf- 

 lets ovate, closely and sharply pinnatifid, of a deep shining green, 

 and not unhandsome j on long furrowed footstalks, sheathing at 

 the base. Umbels terminal, very numerous, erect, compound, 

 occasionally attended by 1 or 2 simple axillary ones, as in Engl. 

 Bot. ; all many-rayed and smooth. General Bracteas with mem- 

 branous edges. Fl. numerous, white, all prolific ; the outer- 

 most very slightly irregular. Fruit abundant, at all periods of 

 growth sufficiently crisped, in some part or other, to show the 

 generic character. 



The herbage is fetid, narcotic and sedative, much used, in the form 

 of an extract, for lowering the pulse in acute inflammatory dis- 

 orders ; and still more celebrated for relieving scrofulous and 

 cancerous maladies. Haller has collected every thing that has 

 been said on this subject, as to the external as well as internal 

 application of Hemlock. Those who are interested, should be 

 careful to have the right plant; and not, as is frequently the case, 

 some inactive, or perhaps too potent and dangerous, herb of the 

 same tribe, in its stead. 



152. CORIANDRUM. Coriander. 



Unn.Gen.\A2. Juss. 220. Fl. Br. 320. Spreng. Prodr. 21 . Toum. 

 t.\m. iam.i. 19G. Gtertn. t. 22. 



Fl. all perfect ; the oufermost very irregular, prolific ; the 

 innermost regular, abortive. Cal. superior, of 5 broad, 

 acute, unequal, permanent, -withering leaves. Pet. 5, in- 

 versely heart-shaped, with an inflexed point; those of the 

 innermost flowers nearly equal and regular ; of the mar- 

 ginal ones irregular; the 2 inner ones equal, deeply 

 lobed ; 2 next with 2 very unequal lobes ; the odd one 

 with 2 very large, equal, obovate lobes. Filam. thread- 

 shaped, spreading, as long as the smaller petals. Anth. 

 roundish. Germ, a single or double globe, smooth. Styles 

 thread-shaped, spreading, each in length equal to the 

 diameter of the fruit, their bases conical, tapering. 5/?^- 

 mas small, obtuse. Floral Receptacle none. Fmit a single 

 or double globe, crowned with the wide-spreading styles 

 and wiriiered calyx, smooth, without ribs. Seeds semi- 

 orbicular, concave. 



