THE 
BRITISH HERBAL. 
CLASS XXIV. 
Plants whofc flowers are placed in umbells, or rounded dtifters ; and are com- 
fofed each of five petals, and fucceeded by two feeds, which ft and naked, 
and united, and are crowned with the cup. 
T 
HESE are diftiiK^uilhed as obvioufly as the preceding by Nature, and can never be feparated 
from one another ; nor can any other plants be joined with thenn in a juft method. ^ 
The umbel is a tuft compofed of numerous flowers, placed on divided, and often fubdivi- 
ded footftalks ■, all of which are enclofed at the bafe by a leafy cup, befide the fmall one that belongs 
to the flower. This plainly and obvioufly d.ftinguiflies them. And what Nature has thus throwrj 
before the moft flight obferver, flie has fupported and confirmed for the ftnaeft obfervation ■, for al 
thofe plants, whiclThave the flowers thus thrown into umbells, have each flower thus compofed of 
fivepetals, and followed by two joined and naked feeds j n. ,t. • 
This has led Mr Ray to clafs them under the name of berh<e umhelhfer^ ; and moll others have in 
the fame manner kept them together, and feparated them from all others : but the modern fyftems, 
always at war with Nature, fet afide this difl:inflion ; they regard only the number of threads m the 
flower - therefore the obvious and certain mark of the umbel cannot have any force 
Nature is fo uniform, even in the leaft things, that this method keeps moft of the umbelliferous 
plants together, for they agree alfo in the number of threads and petals ; but it does not feparate 
them from other plants. . , r c , j ■ . ■ ■ 
LinnKus, who keeps moft of the umbelliferous plants together in his clafs of pmla^dna, yetjoHis 
with them the elm and geiuian. . , „ , i, r i,- u t-i 
The two nurpofes to be anfwered by arranging plants In claflTes, are, to keep thofe which are alike 
together, and to feparate them from others. The regularity of Nature does not admit ot varying 
from the firft point ; but thefe authors wholly lofe flght of the latter. The elm and hemkek in Lia- 
nsus ftand in the fame clafs and the fame feftion : they are not feparated by any fubordinate divifion. 
SERIES L 
Natives of Britain. 
Thofe of which one or more fpecies are naturally wild in this kingdom. 
GENUS I. 
COW-PARSNEP. 
SPHONDTLIUM. 
nnHE flowers are dlfpofed in very large umbells, furrounded at the bafe with numerous, oblong 
1 leaves Each is compofed of five petals, in fome regular, in others irregular ; the outer ones 
bein- laraer than the others, and all ol them nipped at the end, and heart-faflrioned. The cup is 
very^fmall ; and the feeds are broad, fliort, and foliaceous. ^.^^^^^ 
