40 



WEEDS.: HOG WEED. 



2. The " Hog weed, or cows' parsnip," or the Heracleum " 

 of botany, is a weed very often found on loamy damp meadows. 

 The plant belongs to the class and order Pentandria 

 digynia " of Linneus, and the natural order ^' Umbelliferse " 

 of Jussieu. 



Generic charade?'. — General umbel of many rays, very 

 large, partial, flat. General involucre of many leaves, de- 

 ciduous, partial, halved on the outside; its leaflets from 

 three to seven linear, lanceolate, the outer ones longest. 

 Perianth scarcely discernible. Corolla universal, not uni- 

 form, radiated. Flowers for the most part all fertile, partial ; 

 of the disk equal, of five, inflexed, hooked, emarginated 

 petals ; of the radius unequal, of five oblong, hooked petals ; 

 the outer ones largest, and most deeply cloven. Stamina : 

 filaments five, longer than the petals of the disk; anthers 

 small. Pistil : germen inferior, nearly ovate ; styles two, 

 approximated, short ; stigmas simple. Pericarp: fruit elhp- 

 tical, compressed, emarginate, striated on each side in the 

 middle. Seeds two, ovate, compressed, somewhat leafy at 

 the edge. 



Essential character. — Fruit elliptical, notched, compressed, 

 striated, dilated in the margin. Flowers radiant. Petals 

 notched, with an inflexed point. General involucre de- 

 ciduous. 



The " Heracleum sphondylium," or the Common cows' 

 parsnip," has the leaves pinnate or ternate, hairy, downy, 

 and whitish beneath. Leaflets dilated, pinnatifid, cut, 

 and serrated, heart-shaped at its base. The root is 

 biennial, tap-shaped, whitish. Stem erect, branched, leafy, 

 stout, hollow, furrowed and rough, about four feet high. 

 Dr. Sibthorp found it in Greece, growing in wet places, as 

 mentioned by Dioscorides. It is a native of most parts of 

 Europe, and forms a genus of the most gigantic umbellifer- 

 ous plants. It flowers from May to July. The leaves are a 

 favourite food with rabbits and swine ; kine, goats, and sheep 

 also eat them ; but horses are not fond of them. 



This weed may be gradually weakened and ultimately de- 

 stroyed by annuaUy cutting it in its early growth. The tap 



