Bunium Bulbo cast anum, 
Earth-nut. 
BUNIUM Lin. Gen. PL Pentandria Digynia. 
Corolla uniformis. Umbella conferta. Fru£l us ovatus. 
Pati Syn. Gen. n. Umbellifer.e herbas. 
BUNIUM Bulbocajlanum. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 229. Sp. Pl. p. 3 49 - 
BULBOCASTANUM. Haller Hijl. n. 783. 
BULBOCASTANUM. I. B. III. 2. 30. 
BULBOCASTANUM majus folio apii. Bauhin. Pin. 162. 
BULBOCASTANUM majus et minus. Ger. emac. 1065. 
NUCULA terreftris major. Parkin/. 893. Rail Syn. p. 209. Earth -nut. Kipper-nut, Pig-nut. 
Hud/on. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 122. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 156. Oeder. FI. Dan. t. 220. 
RADIX perennis, tuberofa, extus caflanei coloris, intus | ROOT perennial, tuberous, on the outfide of a chefnut 
alba, folida, fibras tum ab imo tum a lateribus | colour, within white, folid, putting forth flen- 
promens tenues, guftu fubdulci grato, pro- ¥ der fibres from the fides as well as the bottom, 
funde in terra delitefcente. | of an agreeable fweetilh tafle, lying deep in 
I the ground. 
CAULIS pedalis, ad bipedalem, ereftus, teres, firmulus, | STALK from one to two feet high, upright, round, 
craffitie pennze coracis, fubBriatus, glaber, pe- ^ Biffifh, the thicknefs of a crow-quill, flightly 
nitus viridis, ramofus. ¥ Briated, fmooth, throughout of a green colour, 
I and branched. 
FOLIA radicalia longe petiolata, caulina feffilia, omni- % LEAVES from the root Banding on long foot- Balks, 
bus tenuiflime divifis, fceniculi modo, faturate| thofe of the Balk feffile, all of them very finely 
viridibus, marginibus foliorum ad lentem acu- ¥ divided like fennel, the fmall leaves edged with 
leato-ciliatis, Jig. 7. auSt. Spatha brevis, ful-| prickly hairs, Jig. 1. magn. Sheath fliort, 
catus, laevis, margine membranacei, albida, f grooved, fmooth, the edge membranous and 
whitifh. 
UMBELLyE plures, univerfalis multiplex radiis feptem | UMBELLS feveral, the general one compofed of many 
ad duodecim, partialis breviffima, conferta, T rays from feven to twelve ; the partial one very 
radiis circiter duodecim. | fliort, the rays about twelve and clofe. 
INVOLUCRUM universale polyphyllum, lineare, breve, $ INVOLUCRUM : the general one compofed of many 
faepe nullum; partiale fetaceum, longitudine | leaves, linear, fliort, often wanting; the pa r- 
umbelluhe, aliquando nullum. Perianthium | tial one fetaceous, the length of the fmall um- 
proprium vix manifeflum, t bel, often wanting. Partial Perianthium 
I fcarcely manifeB. 
COROLLA univerfalis uniformis, flofculi plerique fer- 1 COROLLA : general Corolla uniform, moB of the 
tiles ; propria Petalis quinque, inflexo-cordatis | flowers fertile ; individual one compofed of 
aequalibus. Jig. 2. s five Petals, heart-ftiaped, bent in at top, and 
I equal. Jig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque alba, fubulata, co-| STAMINA: five Filaments of a white colour, taper- 
rolla longiora, decidua. Anthers fimplices, $ ing, longer than the corolla, deciduous. An- 
flavefcentes. jig. 3. | ther.® Ample and yellowifh. Jig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen oblongum, inferum, viride PISTILLUM : Germen oblong, beneath the corolla. 
Styli duo albi, fuberedfi. Stigmata obtufa. | of a green colour. Styles two, white. 
Jig. 4, 5. I nearly upright. Stigmata blunt. Jig. 4, 5. 
SEMINA duo, oblongo-ovata, hinc convexa inde plana, $ SEEDS two, of an oblong-ovate fliape, convex on one 
glabra, fubaromatica. pig. 6, 7. f fide and flat on the other, fmooth, and fome- 
$ what aromatic. Jig. 6, 7. 
Children are frequently in the practice of digging up and eating the knobby roots of this plant, which, by fome, 
are fuppofed to referable the chefnut in its taBe, whence its name of Bulbocajlanum. Pigs alfo feek for it with avidity, 
from which circumflance it has alio obtained the name of Pig-nut. 
Few of our Umbelliferi have the chara&eriBic marks which diflinguilh the Bunium ; the principal of which are 
its knobbed root, and finely divided fennel-like leaves. The one which approaches the nearefl to it is the Oenanthe 
fjlulofa, efpecially when growing on ditch banks, where it is frequently thrown when the ditches are cleanfed, or 
when it is cultivated in gardens ; the roots, in fuch Situations, are lo Similar to thofe of the Bunium, as to deceive 
even good judges. The radical leaves of the plant are alfo finely divided ; it would be no wonder, therefore, if 
they Ihould be miflaken for the Earth-nut. 
A paper was published, about a year ago, in one of the Magazines, the London , if I miflake not, in which the 
roots of the Oenanthe crocata , well known for their poifonous effe&s, were Said to have been eaten for thofe of this 
plant. We fufpect, however, from various circumflances, that they were the roots of the Oenanthe fjlulofa. It is 
our intention to make a more minute enquiry into this matter, and give our reafons more at large for this fufpicion, 
when we figure that Species. 
The Earth-nut with us grows chiefly in woods, paBures, and orchards, and flowers in June. 
