CHAPTER XXXIV 

 UMBELLIFERvE (Carrot Family) 



Stems and Leaves. — ^AU the common representatives of 

 the carrot family are herbs. A very few are shrubs or trees. 

 The stems are usually hollow. The leaves are alternate, 

 sometimes opposite at the base of the stem, and as a rule 

 pinnately or ternately compound. In a few genera (as 

 Bupleurum, Hydrocotyle and Oxypolis), they are simple. In 

 Sanicula, they are digitately parted or lobed. In the carrot, 

 fennel, and others, the leaves are decompound. The petioles 

 are frequently swollen and broadened at the base and partly 

 sheathe the stem. There are no stipules, or, if present, are 

 very small. 



Inflorescence and Flowers. — The inflorescence is nearly 

 always an umbel, either simple or compound, but occasionally 

 a head (as in Eryngium). The umbel is so characteristic 

 of this group of plants as to suggest the name " Umbelliferae " 

 (literally meaning umbel-bearing). In a compound umbel, 

 the smaller groups of flowers are designated umbellets. The 

 umbel as a whole is commonly subtended by an involucre, 

 the umbellets by an involucel (little involucre). When the 

 inflorescence has an involucre, it is said to be involucrate; 

 when it has involucels, it is involucellate. 



The flowers (Fig. 218) are small, mostly regular, perfect 

 or polygamous, and pentamerous. In some instances, the 

 outer flowers of the umbel are irregular, the petals pointing 

 outward being somewhat larger than those pointing inward. 

 The calyx, when present, forms a tube wholly adnate to the 



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