204 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



UMBELLIFEKJ*: 



The Umbelliferse are generally herbaceous, and the 

 leaves are much subdivided. There are, however, some 

 exceptions. Hydrocotyle is a marsh plant growing on 

 wet mud or floating in water, and the leaves are round 

 like those of a small water-lily. Bupleurum also has 

 undivided leaves, and one South European species, the 

 only shrubby one in the family, has leathery leaves like 

 those of a Laurel. The fruits are sometimes winged, 

 as in Angelica ; sometimes covered with spines or hooks, 

 as in the Carrot, Anthriscus, or Sanicula. 



The plants belonging to this group possess two 

 great advantages, namely, first, the association of the 



numerous small flowers into com- 

 paratively large flat heads, by 

 which they are made much more 

 conspicuous ; and secondly, they 

 all secrete honey in the centre 

 of the flower on a flat disk (Fig. 

 142), which is thus accessible 

 to all insects, even those with 

 the shortest lips. This is an 

 advantage, as it efi'ects a con- 

 siderable saving of time, enabling 

 the insects to visit a given 

 number of flowers more rapidly, 

 and consequently rendering their 

 fertilisation more certain than 

 „, .. ,^, ifthey stood singly. But though 



Fig. 141.— Wild Chervil (OAcem- ,, J -. . &■'.,. ° 



phyiinm syivistre). Leaf and the Order IS SO I'lch m genera 

 inflorescence (reduced) vvitii ,^^^ spccies, it is Comparatively 



flower and fruit. ■ n n , i t ■ • p 



uniiorm, and the divisions are tor 

 the most part characterised by the form and structure 

 of the fruit. The flowers are generally small ; the petals, 

 5 in number, are inserted round a little fleshy disk ; the 

 stamens, also 5, alternate with the petals. 



The self-fertilisation which, in small flowers such as 



