A P I A C E iE. 



339 



A small genus of perennial herbs, founded by Lindley on the P. pabu- 

 laria, a large species, the leaves of which are dried and form the winter food 

 of cattle in the north of India, and are considered highly nutritious; from its 

 stimulating effects it is said by Mr. Moorcroft to destroy the fluke worm in 

 sheep. It is only interesting in a medical point of view on account of Dr. 

 Royle having suggested (Illustrations, 230), that it was one of the kinds of 

 Silphion of the ancients, described by Arriar>as growing on the mountains of 

 Northern India (Paropamdsi), and fed on by sheep. Sir A. Burnes found it 

 in the spot spoken of by Arrian, greedily eaten by sheep, and even forming 

 food for man, and was convinced that it was the plant noticed by the Greek 

 historian. 



Conium. — Linn. 



Margin of calyx obsolete. Petals obcordate, with a short inflected apex. Fruit ovate, 

 compressed at the sides. Mericarps with 5 prominent, equal, undulate-crenate ridges, of 

 which the lateral are at the edge. Channels with numerous striae, but no vittae. 



A small genus of biennial plants, with fusiform roots ; terete and branched 

 stems, and decompounded leaves ; they are all poisonous. 



C. maculatum, Linn. — Stem glabrous, spotted ; segments of the leaves lanceolate, pin- 

 natifid, the lobes acute ; leaflets of the involucel lanceolate, shorter than the umbel. 



Linn., Sp. PL 349 ; Torrey and Gray, FL i. 640 ; Bigelow, Med. Bot. i. 

 113, t. ii. ; Rafinesque, Med. Flor. i. 118, t. 25. 



Common Names. — Hemlock ; Poison Parsley, &c. 



Foreign Names. — Cigue ordinaire, Grande Cigue, Fr. ; Geflecter shierling, 

 Ger. ; Cicuta, It. 



Description. — Root fusiform, 

 whitish, fleshy. Stem from three 

 to five feet high, erect, round, 

 hollow, glaucous, polished, often 

 spotted with purple. Leaves 

 large, of a bright-green, repeat- 

 edly compound ; leaflets ovate, 

 closely and sharply pinnatifid, 

 with the lower lobes incised ; pe- 

 tioles long, furrowed, and sheath- 

 ing at base. Umbels terminal, 

 numerous, erect, and compound ; 

 all many-rayed and smooth. 

 General involucre ovate, cuspi- 

 date, with membranous edges. 

 Flowers all fertile, white, the 

 outermost slightly irregular. — 

 Fruit ovate, compressed, of a pale- 

 green colour ; primary ridges 

 elevated, sharp, undulated ; com- 

 missures and channels finely 

 wrinkled. 



This plant is a native of 

 Europe and parts of Asia, 

 and is naturalized in many 

 places in the United States. 

 It has a disagreeable, virose 

 smell, which is more power- 



Fig. 160. 



C. maculatum. 

 a. Vertical section of fruit, b. Transverse do. 

 d. Flower. 



c. Fruit. 



