10 
farinaceous and useful for food. In some cases the roots2 are 
fasciculate-tuberous, as in Eulophus^ Tiedemannia^ some species of 
Carum^ etc. Very few species are fibrous-rooted. 
Stejii. While some Kamschatkan species attain a gigantic 
size, and certain S. African forms become shrubs and even small 
trees, our North American species are at most but coarse herbs. 
The stems are grooved, more or less swollen at the joints, pithy 
or hollow, and so uniform in character that none of these features 
are useful in classification. > 
Leaf. The leaves , are alternate, with very characteristic 
petioles, which are dilated (sometimes very much so) and more or 
less sheathing at base. As a rule, they are compound, sometimes 
simply lobed, very rarely entire. 
Inflorescence. — The general plan of inflorescence is a regu- 
larly compounded umbel, but in certain genera (as in Hydrocolyle) 
the umbels are simple; while in others they are reduced to 
heads (as in Eryngium). In some genera the umbels are very 
irregularly compounded, so that it would be almost impossible to 
draw any satisfactory line between forms with simple and those 
with compound umbels, although this character has been rather 
extensively used in generic grouping. Even when this indistinct 
line has been drawn the genera are thrown into most unnatural 
relationships. Proliferous umbels are not at all uncommon, and in 
some forms (as in Hydrocotyle) prolification is a constant charac- 
ter. The involucre (composed of bracts) and the involucel (com- 
posed cf bractlets) furnish very important characters in classifica- 
tion. The bracts and bractlets may be wanting, or from minute 
to very conspicuous, green or scarious, distinct or more or less 
united. 
The flower. — The small epigynous flowers, with five sepals 
(often obsolete), petals and stamens, and bicarpellary pistil, are so 
uniform in character that they cannot be considered of much value 
in classification, unless we except such subordinate characters as 
the presence or absence of calyx-teeth, and the color of petals. 
Sepals. The calyx is blended with the inferior ovary and 
2 We use “roots” here in the ordinary systematic way. Morphologically these “tuberous 
roots’’ are mostly subterranean stems. 
