Gliervil and Skirret 



195 



branching more or less hairy biennial, 2 to 3 ft. tall, with 

 ternately decompound leaves, the ultimate segments being 

 linear rather than ovate or fernlike, as in salad chervil 

 (Anthriscus Cerefolium), producing underground spindle- 

 shaped tubers 2 to 4 in. long: fruit ("seed") nearly linear, 

 about i/i in. long and more or less curved, not long-tapering as 

 in the anthriscus, plane and unmarked on the front, convex 

 on the back and with 4 dark-colored furrows on the back and 

 sides, weighing 2 mg. 



SKIRRET 



Seeds of skirret (Fig. 102) are sometimes offered by 

 American seedsmen, but the plant 

 is little known in this country. It 

 is raised for the thick but small 

 prongy clustered roots, which are 

 used in the same way as salsify and 

 parsnip. The plant is perennial 

 (but commonly treated as annual) 

 and roots may be left in the ground 

 over winter, being harvested as 

 wanted. If seeds are sown in spring, 

 good roots should be had in autumn. 

 Sometimes the small roots and side 

 prongs are used for propagation, the 

 same as seeds. The plants are 

 usually spaced 6 to 8_ inches in the 

 row and the rows may be 12 to 15 

 inches. 



Skirret is Sium Sisarum, Linn., 

 native in Asia, one of the Umbelli- 

 ferae or Parsley family. The plant 

 grows 1 to 3 feet tall, with odd-pinnate leaves and one to 

 three pairs of lanceolate pointed toothed leaflets; flowers 



104. Seeds (properly fruits) 

 of salsify, the one at the 

 left with the beak and 

 pappus remaining (X 1^^). 



