214 BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS chap. 



SCANDIX 



S. Pecten -Veneris (Venus's Comb). — This prettily and 

 cleverly named species has andromoncecious, or homo- 

 gamous, or weakly protandrous, complete flowers. The 

 male flowers are generally central, but not always 

 present ; while the umbels of the third order are often 

 exclusively male. Before fertilisation the involucre 

 consists of five small, simple leaves. If fertilisation is 

 not efi"ected they remain in this condition, but if even a 

 single flower of the umbel is fertilised they grow and 

 ramify considerably. The upper part of the ovary also 

 elongates rapidly, attaining a length of 2 inches. 

 When ripe the fruits spring open elastically. 



Physospermum 



P. cornubiense. — An extreme West of England species, 

 characterised by its bladdery fruit, whence its generic 

 name. It is an example of an element of the South- 

 west European flora subsisting under the mild climatic 

 conditions of the West of England. The Cornish heath, 

 E?-ica vagans, afi'ords another example. 



Myrrhis 



M. odorata. — A doubtful native. Most of the flowers 

 are complete and protandrous, but the later ones male 

 only. 



Catjcalis 



There are five British species. One, C. nodosa, has 

 the umbels opposite the leaves, and short fruit. In the 

 other four the umbels are terminal. Two have short 

 fruits not two lines long ; in one, C Anthriscus, the 

 general involucre has several bracts ; in the other, C. 

 arvensis, only one. Of the last two, one, C. latifolia, 

 has simple pinnate leaves ; while in the other, C. 

 daucoides, the leaves are twice or thrice pinnate. 



0. daucoides. — According to Schulz, is andromon- 

 cecious, and also has protandrous complete flowers. The 

 male flowers are central. Kerner, however, describes 



