UMBELLlFERiE. 



337 



closely allied species or variety. In Britain, not unfrequent in 

 southern and central England and in Ireland, more rare in the north, 

 and very local in southern Scotland. Fl. summer. 



2. Lesser Sium. Sium angustifolium, Linn. (Fig. 409.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 139.) 



Hesembles the broad S., but is not so 

 tall, more branched and leafy, seldom 

 2 feet high, and in dried-up ditches often 

 less than a foot, and decumbent. Seg- 

 ments of the leaves smaller, 8 to 10 pairs 

 in the lower leaves, fewer in the upper 

 ones, from ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 

 more deeply and sharply toothed or 

 lobed than in the broad S. Umbels 

 more numerous, smaller, on shorter pe- 

 duncles, mostly lateral, with 8 to 12 or 

 15, rarely more, rays. Involucral bracts 

 varying from broad-lanceolate to linear, 

 often toothed. Fruit smaller than in 

 the broad S., the ribs less prominent, the 

 vittas less superficial, the calyx-teeth 

 very minute. 



In wet ditches, and shallow streams, 

 throughout temperate and southern Europe and western Asia, from 

 south Sweden to Persia. In Britain, rather more common than the 

 broad S., in the greater part of England and Ireland, but becoming 

 scarce in northern England and southern Scotland. FL summer. 



Fig. 409. 



XIY. PXMPINEI.. PIMPINELLA. 



Leaves dissected. Umbels compound, without involucres. Petals 

 broad, notched with an inflected point. Fruit short, somewhat laterally 

 compressed, without visible calycine teeth. Carpels with 5 scarcely 

 prominent ribs, 2 or 3 vittas under each interstice, and several vittas 

 on the inner face. 



The genus, as now usually limited, contains a considerable number 

 of species, chiefly from the Mediterranean region and west-central 

 Asia. The shape of the fruit is nearly that of Apium, but the ribs are 

 much less prominent, and the vittas more numerous. 



VOL. I. 2d 



