178 THE UMBELLATE FAMILY, [HydrocotyU. 



tufts of leaves and flowers. Leaves orbicular, \ to 1 inch diameter, 

 crenate or slightly lobed, and attached by the centre to a rather long 

 stalk. Peduncles shorter than the leafstalks, with a single terminal 

 head, or 2 or even 3 whorls of minute white flowers on very short 

 pedicels. Fruits small, flat, and glabrous, about a line in diameter. 



In bogs, marshes, edges of ponds and lakes, in temperate Europe, 

 from southern Scandinavia to the Caucasus. Frequent in Britain. Fl. 



II. SANICULA. SANICLE. 



Herbs, with a perennial rootstock ; palmately divided leaves, mostly 

 radical ; and erect, almost leafless stems, irregularly branched at the 

 top, each branch ending in a very small head of flowers. Fruit ovoid, 

 covered with short, hooked prickles, and crowned by the 5 prickly teeth 

 of the calyx. Petals minute, obovate, with an inflected point. 



A genus of very few species, but widely spread over a great part of 

 the globe without the tropics. They are all readily distinguished 

 among irregular Umbelliferce by their burr-like fruit. 



1. S. europeea, Linn. (fig. 399). Sanicle. — Bootstock short, almost 

 woody. Badical leaves on long stalks, 1 to 2 inches diameter, deeply 

 divided into about 5 palmate segments or lobes, each one obovate or 

 wedge-shaped, dentate or lobed, the teeth ending in a fine point, and 

 often ciliate at the edge ; the whole plant otherwise glabrous. Stems 

 1 to 1J feet high, leafless or with small trifid leaves or bracts under 

 the branches of the panicle. This usually consists of 3 short branches, 

 each with a single small head of flowers, with a longer branch lower 

 down the stem bearing 3 small heads, but sometimes there are more 

 3 -headed branches forming an irregular umbel. At the time of flowering, 

 the calyx-teeth almost conceal the petals ; as the fruit ripens into little 

 burrs of about 2 lines, the prickles almost conceal the calyx-teeth. 



In woods, throughout Europe except the extreme north, extending 

 eastward into central Asia. Frequent in Britain. Fl. summer. 



III. ASTRANTIA. ASTKANTIA. 



Herbs, with a perennial rootstock, and palmately divided leaves, 

 mostly radical. Umbels compact, irregularly compound, with general 

 and partial involucres of several coloured bracts. Flowers often 

 unisexual. Fruit ovoid or oblong, somewhat compressed laterally, 

 crowned by the long pointed teeth of the calyx. Carpels with 5 plaited 

 or crumpled ribs, and without vittas. 



A small genus extending over central and southern Europe to the 

 Caucasus. The foliage and involucels, as well as the fruit, mark it out 

 as a very distinct group in the family. 



1. A. major, Linn. (fig. 400). Larger A. — Badical leaves like those 

 of Sanicula, but larger, with more pointed lobes. Stems 2 feet high or 

 more, erect, with 1 or 2 leaves, smaller, and on shorter stalks than the 

 radical ones. General umbel very irregular, of 3 to 5 unequal rays, the 

 involucre of as many coloured and lobed or toothed bracts, with 

 occasionally a bract or two below the middle of each ray. Partial 

 umbels with an involucel of 15 to 20 lanceolate pointed bracts, quite 

 entire, as long as or longer than the flowers, either white or tinged 



