120 
42. VEL^^A DC. Prodr. iv, 230. — Glabrous or pubescent 
perennials, from thick elongated roots, with mostly radical pinnate 
or ternate leaves, involucre present or wanting, conspicuous invol- 
ucels, and yellow flowers . — Detveya Torn and (iray, FI. i. 641. 
A r racacia Benth. & Hook. Gen. Plant, i. 884, in part. 
There is no doubt that our species that have been described under 
Deiccjja are the same generically as the Mexican Velma, and as such must 
bear the older name. Bentham & Hooker have referred the group to Ar- 
raeacia, from which it seems to us sufficiently distinct to be retained as an 
independent genus. Watson (Proc. Am. Acad. xxii. 415) unwillingly came to 
the same conclusion and transferred the more recent species of Deweya to 
Arracacia. A study of the internal fruit-structures emphasizes a distinc- 
tion which seemed to be too slight upon external characters. The genus, 
although somewhat polymorphous in habit, is consistent enough even in 
that regard, with its thick elongated roots, mostly radical pinnate or ter-^ 
nate leaves, and yellow flowers. The contrasting characters with Arra- 
cacia are as follows: Arracacia. has a somewhat beaked fruit, with broad 
corky equally distant ribs (giving a pentagonal carpel section), a prominent 
well defined group of strengthening cells beneath each rib, single large oil- 
tubes in the intervals, and a conical stylopodium. Velma has beakless 
fruit, with filiform unequally placed ribs (the dorsal being approximate), 
very small ill-defined groups of strengthening cells, numerous oil-tubes 
(in some cases almost continuous), and a depressed stylopodium. The 
character of dorsallv sulcate or terete seeds has been used, but adds noth- 
ing, as any large solitary oil-tube may have a sulcus developed beneath it. 
Numerous intervallate oil-tubes never are accompanied by a dorsally sul- 
cate seed. The result is that Arracacia may or may not have dorsally 
sulcate seeds, while Velma never has; butthis is only another way of saying 
tliat the former has large solitary oil- tubes in the intervals, and the latter 
numerous oil-tubes. 
^1. V. arguta. One to 2 feet high, glabrous, mostly with a 
few cauline leaves: leaves simply pinnate; leaflets 5 to 7, ovate, 1 to 
.1 ^ inches long, the lowest petiolnhite and often subcordate, finely 
and sharply mneronate-serrate, the terminal often 3-lobed: umbel 
12 to IG-rayed, mostly with no involucre, and involucels of few 
linear acuminate bractlets; rays 2 to 3 inches long; pedicels short: 
calyx-teeth prominent: fruit oblong, smemth, 2 to 3^ lines long, 
acutely ribbed; oil-tubes 3 to 5 in the intervals, 4 to 6 on the com- 
missural side.— Dezveya arguta Torr, & Gray, FI. i. 641. Arra- 
cacia argiila Benth. & Hook. Gen. Plant, i. 885. 
Mountains of S. Caiifornia (Parry tt Lemmon 148), Biyelom, Palmer 
IfOa, Par/.s/i !)70); “N. CfiW.'’ (Na Hall); also in Lower California ffImP/ 
!)07J. 
