BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
.159 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
THE ARALIA FAMILY. 
Character of the Order. —Calyx superior, entire or toothed. 
Petals definite, five to ten, deciduous, valvate in sestivation, occasionally 
absent. Stamens equal in number to the petals or twice as many, 
arising from within the border of the calyx, and from without an 
epigynous disk. Ovary inferior, with more cells than two ; ovules 
solitary, pendulous ; styles equal in number to the cells, sometimes 
(AiialiacevE, A. Rickard.) 
connate ; stigmas simple. Fruit succulent or dry, consisting of several 
one-seeded cells. Seeds solitary, pendulous, adhering to the pericarp ; 
albumen fleshy, having a minute embryo at the base, with its radicle 
pointing to the hilum. Trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants, with, in 
all respects, the habit of Umbelliferae. ( Lindley .) 
Description, &c. —This order was formerly considered to include the Ivy ; but as that is now removed to 
Caprifoliace®, the only British plant included in it is the Moschatel, which has been removed to it from 
Saxifrage®. 
GENUS I. 
THE MOSCHATEL. (Adoxa, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. OCTANDRIA TETRAGYNIA. 
Generic Character. —Sepals four or five, united at the base, j Styles four or five. Berry half inferior, of one cell, with four bordered 
Petals none. Stamens eight or ten, perigynous. Disk obsolete. ! seeds. Leaves compound. Flowers terminal, capitate, green. {Lindley.) 
Description, &c. —There is only one species in this genus (A. Moschatellina, Lin.), a pretty little perennial 
plant which grows in groves and thickets, and produces its small yellow flowers in April and May. The name 
of Adorn signifies not showy. The genus is placed in the Linnsean class Octandria, from its eight stamens ; and 
in the order Tetragynia, from its four styles. 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
THE UMBELLIFEROUS FAMILY. (Umbelliferae, Juss.) 
Character of the Order. —Calyx superior, either entire, or five¬ 
toothed. Petals five, inserted on the outside of a fleshy disk ; usually 
inflexed at the point ; sestivation imbricate, or valvate. Stamens five, 
alternate with the petals, incurved in aestivation. Ovarium inferior, 
two-celled, with solitary pendulous ovula ; crowned by a double fleshy 
disk ; styles two, distinct; stigmata simple. Fruit consisting of two 
carpella, separable from a common axis, to which they adhere by their 
face (the commissure ); each carpellum traversed by elevated ridges, 
of which five are primary, and four, alternating with them, secondary ; 
the ridges are separated by channels, below which are often placed, in 
the substance of the testa, certain linear receptacles of coloured oily 
matter, called vitt*. Seed pendulous, usually adhering inseparably to 
the pericarpium, rarely loose ; embryo minute, at the base of abundant 
horny albumen; radicle pointing to the hilum. Herbaceous plants, 
with fistular, furrowed stems. Leaves usually compound, sometimes 
simple, sheathing at the base. Flowers in umbels, white, pink, 
yellow, or blue, generally surrounded by an involucrum. {Lindley.) 
Description, &c. —This is a very large order ; but as it contains very few ornamental plants, I shall only 
describe those at length which I think are likely to have attracted the attention of my readers sufficiently to 
make them wish to know their names. All the plants belonging to this order are easily distinguished by their 
flowers being produced in umbels, their stalks being hollow and furrowed, and the leaves being generally 
compound and always sheathing at the base. All the Umbelliferous plants are in the Linnman class and order 
Pentandria Digynia, from their five stamens and two styles. Most of the plants belonging to this order are 
poisonous in a wild state ; but many of them are rendered wholesome by cultivation. 
