PARSNIP 657 



As explained on page 441, the walls of the mericarps usually 

 have ridges or raised lines on them, and in the substance of 

 the wall of the fruit are hollow tubular spaces containing oils of 

 peculiar flavour and odour. For further information in regard 

 to the structure of the parts of the fruit of umbelliferous plants, 

 the student is referred to chapter xxxi. 



Carrot (Daucus Carota L.). 



Form and Size. — The 'seeds' (mericarps) are oblong or 

 oval ; almost flat on one side ; on the other are four prominent 

 TOWS of spiny ridges, with five much smaller ones between them. 

 The length is about 2-5 to 3 mm.; breadth, I's mm.; and thickness, 

 I "3 mm. 



Colour and Smell. — The colour is a greenish-grey, the 

 spines being rather lighter. Fresh samples have a distinct and 

 peculiar odour, somewhat like aniseed ; when kept it becomes 

 gradually fainter, and in old seed entirely disappears. Seeds 

 badly stored frequently have a musty smell. 



Purity. — This is nearly always high, but samples sometimes 

 are badly cleaned, and contain large amounts of broken pieces 

 of fruit stalks and imperfectly developed mericarps. 



Germination Capacitv. — This is usually low, 60 to 70 may 

 be considered a very satisfactory percentage. 



Weight. — The absolute weight is a very useful guide to the 

 quality of seed of this plant. 1000 mericarps in good samples 

 weigh about i'3 grams. 



Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.). 



Form and Size. — The mericarps are thin and broadly oval in 

 shape, about 6 to 8 mm. long, and 5 mm. broad : on the outside 

 three raised ribs are visible. 



Colour and Smell. — The outside is a straw colour or 

 greyish yellow, with four dark oil-canals, the inside is darker, 

 inclining to a brown tint, with two oil-canals which reach almost 

 from one end to the other. Fresh seed has a peculiar aromatic 

 smell which disappears with age. 



2 T 



