UMBELLIFERJi:. 



127 



umbels are ordinarily but not constantly surrounded by involucres 



and involucels. The 



flowers, yellow or 



greenish, have . a 



little developed 



calyx, or oftener 



none, entire valvate 



petals, inflexed at 



the summit, and the 

 upper face divided 

 by a vertical ridge 

 into two hollows 

 which received the 

 cells of the anthers. 

 The fruit is more 

 or less compressed 

 laterally ; and that 

 is its only constant 

 character, for it is 

 more or less elon- 

 gate ; the five ridges 

 of the mericarps are 

 more or less promi- 

 nent and soinetimes 

 even aliform ; the 

 vittse are nil or very 

 fine, irregular, in- 

 complete or divided 

 into superposed or 



unequal islets ; or well marked, multiple or solitary in each furrow ; 

 the seeds arie nearly cylindrical or vertically furrowed opposite the 

 vittaB, having a face slightly convex, or flat, or slightly or very 

 deeply concave, with incurved or involute margin. They are annual 

 or perennial herbaceous plants, or shrubby, glabrous, and from all 

 the temperate regions of the old world. One species is also found in 



131. Floriferous branch. 



two unequal mericarps one of which has four 

 narrow 'wings and the other three or less ; the 



latter often sterile. It is a perennial herb with 

 pinnate radical leaves and compound umbels. 



