176 THE UMBELLATE FAMILY. 
minute, in a horny albumen, which either fills the seed or is 
deeply furrowed or excavated on the inner face. 
A numerous family, more or less represented nearly all over the globe; 
but the species are comparatively few in high northern latitudes, as well 
-as within the tropics, their great centre being western Asia and the 
Mediterranean region, ‘Their inflorescence, and the structure of their 
flowers, distinguish them at once from all other families, except that of the ~ 
Aralias, and these have either more than two styles, or the fruit is a berry. 
4 
‘ 
But the subdivision of Umbellifers into genera is much more difficult. ~ 
Linnzeus marked out several which were natural, but without definite 
characters to distinguish them; and the modern genera, founded upon a 
nice appreciation of minute differences in the fruit and seed, are often — 
very artificial, or still more frequently reduced to single species, and as 
artificial as those of Crucifere and Composite. These minute characters 
are moreover in many cases very difficult to ascertain. I have, therefore, 
in the following Analytical Key, endeavoured to lead to the determination 
of the species, as far as possible, by more salient though less absolute 
characters, which may suffice in a great measure for the few British species, 
although, even for them, the minute variations of the fruit cannot be 
wholly dispensed with. For this purpose it is essential to have the fruit 
quite ripe. It must then be cut across, and if a horizontal slice is placed 
under a lens, the general form, the ribs and furrows of the pericarp, and 
the vittas, will clearly appear. When the fruit is described as laterally 
compressed, this slice will assume an oval form, the division between the 
carpels being across the narrow diameter; where it is flattened from front 
to back, the division will be across the broadest diameter. In Seseli and 
other genera, where the fruit is not compressed, the horizontal slice will be 
orbicular, Where the albumen is furrowed, its transverse section will 
assume more or less of a half-moon or a kidney shape. 
Leaves undivided . ; : . . : 5 eee 
Leaves palmate or pinnate, or variously dissected : ‘ ‘ . . 3 
Leaves quite entire, grass-like or ovate. Flowers yellow . 13. BUPLEVRUM. 
24 Leaves rounded, crenate or peltate. ca! or marsh plant, with small 
heads or whorls of flowers . ¢ ‘ 1. HyDRGCOTYLE. 
Leaves and globular heads of flowers very prickly ; . » & HErRyNGIvUM. 
2} Leaves and stems very thick and succulent. . ° © . 21. CRITHMUM. 
Leaves neither prickly nor fleshy 
ribs 4 . : d : 4 
Fruit glabrous and smooth, or with entire ribs or wings : te . 12 
Leaves orbicular or palmate. Umbels simple or irregularly compound . . 6 
Leaves pinnate or much dissected. Umbels usually compound 7 
Flowers in small heads, without involucre. Fruit prickly : 2. SANICULA. 
64 Flowers in simple or irregularly compound umbels. Involucre of many 
bracts. Fruit rough, with sinuate or toothed ribs . : . 8. ASTRANTIA, 
y ee covered with bristles or prickles or hairs . ‘ Bie i . : 
Fruit glabrous, with sinuate ribs. ° . - weed : . 38. CONIUM. 
Fruit flat, with athick border. : 
Fruit ovoid, not bordered , 3 
Bracts of the involucre mostly pinnatifid : 
Bracts of the involucre entire or none . : 
Umbels of more than 20 rays, with inyolucres of many practs, and shortly | 
10 downy fruits . 17. SESELI. 
Umbels of few rays ‘(seldom 10), ‘Bracts few or none. Fruits burr-like or 
very hispid. 
ut 
{nb covered with prickles or bristles or hairs, or with toothed or sinuate 
4, 
3 4 a . 26. ToRDYLIUM. 
e e e 9 
. 32, Davots. | 
. 10 
Fruit contracted at the top into a very short, smooth beak 30. CH@ROPHYLLUM. 
‘Fruit covered to the top with hooked pristles 4 4 . e 91, CAUCALIS. i 
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