8MYRNIUM. 



J. S. laterak- Cape Alexanders. Thunb. Prodr. 51. 

 WiUd. n. 3. — Stem-leaves ternate, cut and ferrated. Um- 

 bels lateral, feffile. — Gathered by Thunberg, at the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



4. S. Olufatrum. Common Alexanders. Linn. Sp. PI. 

 376. Willd. n. 4. FI. Brit. n. I. Engl. Bot. t. 230. 

 (Smyrnium; Matth. Valgr. v. 2. 130. Hippofelinura ; 

 Ger. Em. 1019. Petrofelinon Alexandrinum ; Trag. Hift. 

 436.) — Stem-leaves ternate, ftalked, ferrated. Umbels 

 terminal. — Native of rocks near the fea, the borders of 

 marihes, or the neighbourhood of ancient buildings, in 

 Britain, France, Spain, Holland, Cyprus, Greece, and 

 Alia Minor, flowering in fpring. The root is flefliy, ufually 

 biennial, but we have obferved it to live feveral years in a 

 fituation where it could not produce flowers. Whole 

 plant fmooth, light green, fliining, bufliy, three feet high, 

 of an aromatic and fweetifh flavour. Stem round, pale, 

 furrowed, hollow. Lower leaves thrice ternate, with broad, 

 deeply ferrated, varioufly fliaped leaflets, ovate or wedge- 

 fliaped at tlie bafe. Footjlalls dilated, concave, ribbed, 

 and membranous. Umbels numerous, greenifh-white, glo- 

 bofe, of many general and partial rays ; very rarely accom- 

 panied by a few fmall, awlfhaped leaves of a general invo- 

 lucrum, but this is accidental, and occurs now and then in 

 other genera that, like this plant, have never any partial 

 involucrum. The fruit is black, corapofed of two aromatic, 

 acrid, bitter, three-ribbed feeds, as big as thofe of the 

 garden Tropxolum, or Nafturtium. Tiiere can be no more 

 doubt of this being the i^ct3-Aivg» of Diofcorides, than 

 there is refpefting his fynonym for our firft fpecies. The 

 old name of Olus atrum, or Black Pot-herb, probably alludes 

 to the colour of the feeds, which are remarkably large and 

 confpicuous. Our Enghfh one was perhaps introduced 

 from Germany, where, as well as in Italy, Ray fays the 

 plant is called Herba Alexandrina- Were it not for this 

 information, we might fufpeA Alexanders, or Alifanders, 

 (as the word fometimes is written,) to be a corruption of 

 Olufatrum pronounced with a broad foreign twang. The 

 root and young herbage formerly ferved thofe purpofes in 

 fallads and broths, which are now better anfwercd by the 

 more delicately flavoured Celery. 



5. ^ apiifolium- Smallage-leaved Alexanders. Willd. 

 n. 5. Ait. n. 3. (S. creticum, paludapii folio; Tourn. 

 Cor. 22.) — " Stem-leaves wedge- (haped, obtufe, three- 

 cleft, toothed." — Gathered in Crete, by Tournefort, from 

 one of whofe fpecimens, confilling of a branch with umbels in 

 feed, Willdenow adopted this fpecies. He informs us there 

 was no general or partial involucrum. We have feen nothing 

 anfwering to the above account. 



6. S. cordatum. Heart-leaved Alexanders. Walt. 

 Carolin. 114. Purfli n. I. (Thapfia trifoliata; Linn. Sp. 

 PI. 366. Willd. Sp. PI. V. I. 1465. Ait. Hort. Kew. 

 V. 2. 156. Sium folio infimo cordate, caulinis ternatis, 

 omnibus crenatis ; Gron. Virg. 43.) — Radical leaves 

 roundifli-heart-fhaped, crenate, fimple ; thofe of the Item 

 ternate, ftalked, acute, ferrated. Ribs of the feeds pro- 

 minent, compreiled. — In woods, frequently on the moun- 

 tains, from New England to Carolina, flowering in June 

 and July. Root perennial. Flaiuers yellow. Purfli. The 

 habit of the whole plant, and, if we miftake not, the 

 tharafter of the feeds, both agree with the prefent genus, 

 but not at all with Thapfia ; yet it is to be wifhed that 

 Walter, in transferrmg this fpecies hither, had not need- 

 lefsly changed the fpecific name. The herb is fmooth, 

 (lender, ered, flightly branched. Leaves light-green ; the 

 radical ones fimple, (haped like thofe of a violet, on long 

 ftalks ; the reft ternate, more ovate and acute. Umbels 



fmall, denfe, terminal, folitary. Walter fays the flowers 

 are white ; and fo they appear rather than yellow, in 

 Kalm's fpecimen. The feeds are fmall, oval, brown, with 

 three prominent, rounded, thick-edged, flat ribs to each. 



7. S. aureum. Golden Alexanders. Linn. Sp. PI. 377. 

 Willd. n. 6. Ait. n. 4. (Angelica acadienfis, flore luteo; 

 Dodart Mem. ed. Amlterd. 557. t. i.) — Leaves twice ter- 

 nate ; the middle divifion often pinnate ; leaflets ovato- 

 lanceolat^ (trongly ferrated. Seeds elliptical, furrowed. 

 — On the mountains and hills, near banks of rivers, from 

 Pennfylvania to Carolina, flowering in Jane and July. 

 Purfli. Root perennial, black, tufted. Stems numerous, 

 eredl, hollow, a foot and a half high, angular, furrowed, 

 fmooth hke every other part of the plant, except at the 

 origin of the footflalks- Lower leaves on long italks, 

 fpreading ; their leaflets an inch or more in length, coarfely 

 ferrated, acute, but not pointed. Umbels fmall, denfe, 

 yellow. Seed brown, not unlike Caraway feeds. The 

 whole plant is faid by Dodart to be acrid, bitter, and aro- 

 matic, " very different in flavour from common Angelica." 

 We have, from the Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, a variety of 

 this, with much narrower, (harper, more finely ferrated 

 leaflets. 



8. S. acuminatum. Pointed-leaved Alexanders. (S. au- 

 rcum B ; Linn. Sp. PI. 377. Willd. n. 6. S. foliis cau- 

 linis decompofitis acuminatis ; Gron. Virg. 44.) — Leaves 

 twice ternate; the middle divifion pinnate; leaflets ovate, 

 taper-pointed, copioufly and (harply ferrated. Rays of the 

 umbel elongated. — Native of Virginia ; fent by Gronovius 

 to Linnaeus, who confounded it improperly with the laft. 

 The whole plant appears to be much larger. Stalks of the 

 radical leaves at leaft a foot long ; leaflets two inches or more 

 in length, with very numerous, clofe, acute, rather unequal 

 ferratures, and taper points ; item-leaves fmaller, lefs com- 

 pound. Umbels folitary, on long terminal (talks ; the gene- 

 ral rays above an inch long, while in flower, accompanied, 

 in our folitary fpecimen, with a ferrated acceffory leaf, 

 which cannot be fuppofed a general involucrum, though a 

 few of the partial umbels are each alfo fumilhed with a 

 fingle entire lanceolate leaf, more indicative of a partial in- 

 volucrum. The flowers feem to be yellow. We have no 

 knowledge of the feeds, and the genus of this plant mufl 

 therefore remain doubtful. 



9. S. atropurpureum. Dark-purple-fiowered Alexanders. 

 Lamarck Dift. v. 3. 667. Purfh n. 3. — '< Leaves all 

 ternate ; leaflets ovate, acute, ferrated." — On dry (late hills 

 in Virginia and Carolina, flowering from May to July. 

 Purfli. Root perennial. Stem a foot or more in height, 

 flightly branched, angular, fmooth. Leaflets ovate, more or 

 lefs elongated, pointed, fmooth, rather fle(hy, finely and re- 

 gularly ferrated, and fomewhat cartilaginous at the edges, 

 green on both fides. Umbels fmall, terminal, (talked, of 

 a very dark purple ; the partial ones having fometimes a 

 very fhort involucrum. Defrouffeaux (in Lamarck). 



10. S. integerrimum. Entire -leaved Virginian Alexan- 

 ders. Linn. Sp. PI. 377. Willd. n. 7. Ait. n. 5. 

 Purfli n. 4. — Leaves glaucous, twice or thrice ternate; 

 leaflets oval, entire. Rays of the umbel elongated. Cen- 

 tral flowers abortive. Seeds ovate, angular. — On dry hills, 

 from New England to Carolina, but fcarce ; flowering in 

 June. i?oo/ perennial. Purfli. The whole /lAzw/ is fmooth; 

 and glaucous in fome degree. Stem round, fomewhat 

 branched, leafy. Leaflets about an inch long. Common 



footflalk ol the ftem-leaves concave, dilated, membranous ; 

 partial ones long and (lender. Umbels without any general 

 or partial involucrum ; the general rays long and (lender : 

 partial ones ftiort. Flowers yellowi(h ; the central ones 



male, 



