32 
THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
soms in the fall. In this part of the west spring beauties, 
speedwell, wild geranium, strawberries and buttercups are to 
to be found almost every autumn. 
The flowers of spring being much of joy and expectation, 
but the flowers of late autumn touch with a tender pathos the 
deeper emotions of the thoughtful soul; regions where lie 
thoughts too deep for words; border land of the human and 
divine where we catch faint perceptions of a beauty eye hath 
not seen, of a harmony ear hath not heard, of the touch of an 
infinite hand. 
Denver, Idaho. 
'HE Natural Order Umhelliferae, the Parsley Family, 
though relatively small as compared with many other 
groups, is of singular interest and importance. This is due 
to its strongly contrasted economic features. While it furnish- 
es many condiments, like caraway, anise, coriander, and lovage, 
it is the source also of a few well-known violent poisons, the 
true hemlock (Conium maculatum), the water-hemlock (Ci- 
cuta maciilata) and fools-parsley (Aethusa Cynapiitm) . 
Others are characterized by pleasant smelling herbage, as sweet 
cicely, fennel and lovage. 
Were it not so familiar a phenomenon, we would all be 
impressed by observing noxious and innocent plants growing 
out of the same soil. We see thus how good or bad character 
may develop from originally the same elements ; the result de- 
pends upon how these are received and treated. There is, too, 
an interesting tendency to good or evil, in case of these plants 
inconvertible. To be sure, in some cases man renders them 
THE UMBELLIFERS. 
BY DR. WM. WHITMAN BAILEY. 
