BUNIUM BULBOCASTANUM. EARTH-NUT. 



BUNIUM Lin. Gen. PL Pentandria Digynta. 



Corolla uniformis. Umbella conferta. Fruclus ovatus. 



Rail Syn. Gen. n. Umbelliferje herb^e. 



BUNIUM Bulbocajlanum. Lin. Syft. Vegetab. p. 229. Sp. PL p. 349. 



BULBOCASTANUM. Bailer Hifi. 11. 783. 



BULBOCASTANUM. /. B. III. 2. 30. 



BULBOCASTANUM majus folio apii. Bauhin. Pin. 162. 



BULBOCASTANUM majus et minus. Ger. emac. 1065. 



NUCULA terreftris major. Parkin/. 893. Rail Syn. p. 209. Earth-nut, Kipper-nut, Pig-nut. 

 Hud/on. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 122. Lightjoot Fl. Scot. p. 156. Oeder. Fl. Dan. t. 220. 



RADIX perennis, tuberofa, extus caftanei colons, intus| ROOT perennial, tuberous, on the outfide of a chefnut 

 alba, folida, fibras turn ab imo turn a lateribus| colour, within white, folid, putting forth ilen- 



promens tenues, gufhi fubdulci grato, pro- 1 der fibres from the fides as well as the bottom, 



funde in terra delitefcente. | of an agreeable fweetifh tafte, lying deep in 



y the ground. 



CAULIS pedalis, ad bipedalem, ere&us, teres, firmulus, | STALK from one to two feet high, upright, round, 

 craflitie pennae coracis, fubftriatus, glaber, pe- f itiffifh, the thicknefs of a crow-quill, (lightly 



nitus viridis, ramofus. t ftriated, fmooth, throughout of a green colour, 



I and branched. 



FOLIA radicalia longe petiolata, caulina feffilia, omni- 1 LEAVES from the root {landing on long foot-ftalks, 

 bus tenuiffime divifis, fceniculi modo, faturate | thofe of the ftalk feffile, all of them very finely 



viridibus, marginibus foliorum ad lentem acu-:f: divided like fennel, the fmall leaves edged with 



leato-ciliatis, Jig. 7. autl. Spatha brevis, ful-| ,prickly hairs, Jig. 1. magn. Sheath fliort, 



catus, laevis, margine membranacea, albida. f grooved, fmooth, the edge membranous and 



% whitifh. 



UMBELL^E plures, universalis multiplex radiis feptem | UMBELLS feveral, the general one compofed of many 

 ad duodecim, partialis brevifiima, conferta,? rays from feven to twelve ; the partial one very 



radiis circiter duodecim. | ftort, the rays about twelve and clofe. 



INVO LUCRUM anherjale polyphyllum, Hneare, breve, % INVOLUCRUM : the general one compofed of many 

 fepe nullum; partiale fetaceum, longitudine| leaves, linear, fhort, often wanting; the pa r- 



umbelluke, aliquando nullum. Perianthium \ tial one fetaceous, the length of the fmall urn- 



proprium vix manifeftum, % bel, often wanting. Partial Perianthium 



I fcarcely manifeft. 



COROLLA univerfalis uniformis, flofculi plerique fer- % COROLLA : general Corolla uniform, moft of the 

 tiles ; propria Petalis quinque, inflexo-cordatis | flowers fertile ; individual one compofed of 



gequalibus. jig. 2. % five Petals, heart-fhaped, bent in at top, and 



I equal, fig. 2. 



STAMINA : Filamenta quinque alba, fubulata, co- 1 STAMINA : five Filaments of a white colour, taper- 

 rolla longiora, decidua. Anthers fimplices, % ing, longer than the corolla, deciduous. An- 



flavefcentes. fig. 3. I therje fimple and yellowifh. fig. 3. 



PISTILLUM: Germen oblongum, inferum, viride. % PISTILLUM : Germen oblong, beneath the corolla, 

 Styli duo albi, fubereai. Stigmata obtufa.| of a green colour. Styles two, white, 



/yr 4 ? t. I nearly upright. Stigmata blunt, fig. 4, 5. 



SEMINA duo,' oblongo-ovata, hinc convexa inde plana, ¥ SEEDS two, of an oblong-ovate fhape, convex on one 

 glabra, fubaromatica. fig. 6, 7. | fide and flat on the other, fmooth, and fome- 



| what aromatic, fig. 6, 7. 



Children are frequently in the practice of digging up and eating the knobby roots of this plant, which, by fome, 

 are fuppofed to refemble the chefnut in its tafte, whence its name of Bulbocajlanum. Pigs alfo feek for it with avidity, 

 from which circumftance it has alfo obtained the name of Pig-nut. 



Few of our Umbelliferi have the characleriftic marks which diitinguiin the Bunium ; the principal of which are 

 its knobbed root, and finely divided fennel-like leaves. The one which approaches the neareft to it is the tenant be 

 0u!ofa efpecially when growing on ditch banks, where it is frequently thrown when the ditches are cleanfed, or 

 when it is cultivated in gardens ; the roots, in fuch fixations, are fo fimilar to thofe of the Bunium, as to deceive 

 even good judges. The radical leaves of the plant are alfo finely divided; it would be no wonder, therefore, if 

 they mould be miftaken for the Earth-nut. # . 



A paper was publimed, about a year ago, in one of the Magazines, the London, if I miftakc not, 111 which the 

 foots or the Qenanthe crocata, well known for their poifonous effeds, were fa.d to have been eaten for thole of this 

 plant We fufpect, however, from various circumfiances, that they were the roots of the Oenanthe fifiuloja. _ It is 

 our intention to make a more minute enquiry into this matter, and give our reafons more at large for this fufpicion, 

 when we figure that fpecies. . 



• The Earth-nut with us grows chiefly in woods, paflures, and orchards, and flowers in June. 



