Abe shod te 
Gy br Ag Ss XXIV. - 
Planis whofe flowers are placed in umbels, or rounded clufters ; and are com-~ 
pofed each of five petals, and fucceeded by two feeds, which fland naked, 
and united, and are crowned with the cup. 
from one another; nor can any other plants be joined with them in a juft method. 
The umbel is a tuft compofed of numerous flowers, placed on divided, and often fubdivi- 
ded footftalks ; all of which are enclofed at the bafe by a leafy cup, befide the {mal} one that belongs 
to the flower. This plainly and obvioufly diftinguithes them. And what Nature has thus thrown 
before the moft flight obferver, fhe has fupported and confirmed for the ftricteft obfervation ; for all 
thofe plants, which have the flowers thus thrown into umbells, have each flower thus compofed of 
five petals, and followed by two joined and naked feeds. 
This has led Mr. Ray to clafs them under the name of berbe umbellifere ; and moft others have in 
the fame manner kept them together, and feparated them from all others: but the modern fyftems, — 
always at war with Nature, fet afide this diftin@ion ; they regard only the number of threads in the 
flower: therefore the obvious and certain mark of the umbel cannot have any force. 
Nature is fo uniform, even in the leaft things, that this method keeps moft of the umbelliferov 
plants together, for they agree alfo in the number of threads and petals; but it does not fepara 
them from other plants. E 
Linnzus, who keeps moft of the umbelliferous plants together in his clafs of pentandria, yet jou 
with them the e/m and gentian. 
The two purpofes to be anfwered by arranging plants in claffes, are, to keep thofe which are alike 
together, and to feparate them from others. The regularity of Nature does not admit of varying 
from the firft point ; but thefe authors wholly lofe fight of the latter. The elm and hemlock in Lin- 
necus ftand in the fame clafs and the fame fection : they are not feparated by any fubordinate divifion, 
A pe are diftinguifhed as obvioufly as the preceding by Nature, and can never be feparated 
BELRMGPO SHPO I EHS LELLELLEELGSSSE ELS SOP EAM SIS 
So BR: eS I. 
Natives of BRITAIN, 
Thofe of which one or more {pecies are naturally wild in this kingdom. 
Gb NEU I, 
COW-PARSNEP. 
$-P HO N DoD f f Vow. 
NEE, flowers are difpofed in very large umbells, furrounded at the bafe with numerous, oblong 
leaves. Each is compofed of five petals, in fome regular, in others irregular; the outer ones 
being larger than the others, and all of them nipped at the end, and heart-fafhioned. The cup is 
very fimall; and the feeds are broad, fhort, and foliaceous. 
Linneus- 
