88 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



whose thin coat/ covers a hard horny albumen, near the summit of 

 which is lodged a very small rectilinear embryo, with short superior 

 radicle. 



The Carrot is a dicarpous herb, with a tap root j stem and branches 

 often downy, like most of the plant, channeled and hollowed, in which 

 are inserted alternate leaves very variable in form. The lower are 

 complete, with a petiole dilated to a sheath at the base and a decom- 

 pound pinnate limb with narrow and sharp segments. Other leaves, 

 as the upper, are without petiole ; the limb immediately follows the 

 sheath. Finally, towards the top of the plant, the leaves become 

 bracts, represented by the sheath, surmounted by a very reduced limb, 

 which itself may entirely disappear near the inflorescence. The latter 

 is a compound umbel,^ terminating a branch, the conical summit of 

 which forms the principal axis of the umbel. The base of the small 

 cone is surrounded by a collarette of bracts, all or part dissected, and 

 called an involucre. From their axil spring the secondary axes, thin 

 and incurved, connivent even in the fruit. Near the top of these 

 pedicels are other bracts of the second degree, the union of which 

 forms an involucel. .They are entire or 2, 3-fi.d. In their axil are 

 pedicels or axes of the third degree, each terminating in a flower.^ 

 There are some species oi Dauciis, as D. hrachiatus, toryloides, &c., 

 the seed of which has in the middle of its in- 

 ternal surface a shallow vertical furrow. It is 

 more marked in D. pulcherrimus, whose seed 

 presents a crescent-shaped transverse section 

 with ventral concavity. The same is observed 

 in Torilis* particularly in T, Anthriscus (fig. 68), 

 the primary and secondary ridges of which have 

 prominences more marked and a little less re- 

 gularly disposed in vertical series. In Gaucalis,^ recently considered 

 inseparable from Torilis, there are all the intermediate gradations 



Daticus [Turil s) Anthrhcus, 



Fig. 68. Trana. sect, of 

 seed (f). 



1 On the mode of formation of this coat, see 

 H. Bn. Admsonia, xii. 103, 108, 120. 



2 Umbel of umbellules. 



3 Carrots are sometimes found with umbels 

 and umbellules terminated by a central flower, 

 generally more developed than the normal 

 flowers, and of a deep colour. (Gekm. Bull. Soe. 

 Sot. Fr. i. 121.) 



* Adanb. Fam. des PI. ii. 99.— Gjertn. Fruct. 

 i. 82.— HoPFM. XJmbell. 49, 1. 1.— Spkeng. Prodr. 

 Umbell. 24.— Koch, Umbdl. 80, t. 15.-^ DC. 

 Prodr. It. 218. — Endl. Gen. n. 4503. 



' L. Gen. n. 331.- Hofpm. TTmbell. 64.— KocH, 

 TTmbell. 79. — DO. Prodr. iv. 216. — Endl. Gen. 

 n. 4501.— B. H. Gen. 928, n. 146.— Hook. Fl. 

 Ind.ii. 118.— Ac/rocharia Hochst. J^?or«(1844)19, 



