196 THE UMBELLATE FAMILY. [Heracleum. 



In meadows, pastures, hedges, and thickets, throughout Europe and 

 Russian Asia. In Britain, one of the commonest of our UmbeUiferce. 

 FL summer and autumn. 



XXVI. TORDYLIUM. HARTWORT. 



Leaves dissected. Umbels compound, with general and partial in- 

 volucres. Flowers white or pink, the outer petals often larger. Fruits 

 flattened from front to back, with a single thick border (splitting only 

 by the separation of the carpels), and covered with stiff hairs or 

 tubercles. Carpels broad, with the ribs scarcely visible, and 1 or 3 

 vittas under the interstices. 



A small genus, chiefly from the Mediterranean region, with the 

 appearance of Caucalis, but readily known by the flat fruit. 



1. T. maximum, Linn. (fig. 440). Great H. — An erect annual, 2 

 feet or rather more in height, rough with short, stiff hairs. Leaves 

 pinnate, with 5, 7, or 9 segments, lanceolate or almost ovate, and 

 coarsely toothed ; the lateral ones 1 to 2 inches, the terminal ones 

 usually longer. Umbels terminal, of 8 to 10 short rays, with a few 

 rather long, narrow bracts to the involucres. Petals all small and pink. 

 Fruits about 3 lines long, the thickened border very prominent. 



In waste and cultivated lands, in southern Europe, and eastward to 

 the Caucasus ; more rare as a weed of cultivation in central Europe. 

 In Britain, only in Middlesex, Oxford, and Buckinghamshire. Fl. 



XXVII. SCANDIX. SCANDIX. 



Leaves dissected. Umbels compound, with partial involucres of 

 several bracts, and white flowers. Fruit linear, with a very long, smooth 

 beak. Carpels (below the beak) with 5 obtuse ribs, without vittas. 

 Albumen of the seed with a longitudinal furrow on the inner face. 



A small but distinct genus, ranging chiefly over the Mediterranean 

 region and west-central Asia. 



1. S. Pecten, Linn. (fig. 441). Shepherd's needle, Venus' s comb. — A 

 branching annual, erect or spreading, 6 inches to a foot high, and more 

 or less hairy. Leaves twice or thrice pinnate, with short segments cut 

 into narrow lobes. Umbels terminal, of 2 or 3 rays, without general 

 involucres ; partial involucres of several lanceolate bracts, often 2 or 

 3-lobed at the top. Flowers almost sessile, small and white, with a 

 few large outer petals. Fruits attaining near 2 inches ; the carpels at 

 the base cylindrical and ribbed, 4 or 5 lines long, the remainder occupied 

 by a stiff, flattened beak, often compared to the tooth of a comb. 



In fields and waste places, throughout Europe and west-central Asia. 

 Frequent as a cornfield weed in England, Ireland, and the south of Scot- 

 land, but decreasing further northward. Fl. with the com. 



XXVIII. MYRRHIS. CICELY. 

 Leaves dissected. Umbels compound, with partial involucres of 

 several bracts, and white flowers. Fruit narrrow-oblong not beaked. 

 Carpels with 5 very prominent, acute ribs, which are hollow inside, 

 and no vittas. Albumen of the seed with a deep longitudinal furrow 

 on the inner face. 



