Flora Medica

PEUCEDANUM.not half the length of the rays, their margins membranous and partlycoloured ; partial ones similar, rather longer in proportion and oftenconfluent. Flowers white, numerous, uniform, with involute petals.Fruit very light straw colour, 4 lines long, shining, obovate ;the dorsalridges very near each other, distinctly elevated, sharp, the lateral depressedand far within the broad thin margin ; vittae of the commissuresubulate, straight, about half the length of the fruit. The rootabounds in a white bitter fetid juice, which hardens into a brown acridresin. The Russians employ it as ginger. A famous remedy in Courlandin epilepsy. (Rust's krit. rcpert. xii. 2. p. 281.)IMPERATORIA.This genus differs in nothing from Peucedanum, except in therim of the calyx being obsolete.107. I. Ostruthium Linn. sp. 371. DC.prodr. iv. 183. Eng.Bot. t. 1380. Nees and Eberm. pi med. t. 290. handb. iii. 45.Smith Eng. Fl. ii. 79. Peucedanum Ostruthium Koch. umb.95. Moist meadows and woods throughout Europe ; also inNewfoundland. (Masterwort.)Root fleshy, tuberous, somewhat creeping, of an aromatic and acridquality. Stem 1 to 2 feet high, erect, hollow, round, striated, smooth,leafy, slightly branched. Lower leaves on long stalks, twice ternate ;upper less compound, on shorter stalks, with a sheathing, membranous,sometimes jagged dilatation at the base. Leaflets 2 or 3 inches long,and broad in proportion, veiny, smooth on both sides, rough-edged,finely and sharply serrated, partly cut or lobed, the middle one, sometimesall three, deeply 3-cleft, the lateral ones oblique at the base ; theuppermost leaves sometimes very narrow. Umbels broad, flattish, ofabout 40 smooth general rays, 8 or 10 inches wide when in fruit; thepartial rays still more numerous and very slender. Flowers small,white, or pale flesh coloured, almost perfectly uniform and regular.Calyx obsolete. Styles short, reflexed, capitate. Fruit nearly orbicular,about 2 lines broad or something Jess, straw colour, smooth, thin,shining the dorsal ; ridges elevated, stout, rather soft and undulated,the lateral ones indistinct, far within the thin pallid margin. Vittae of thecommissure deep brown, distinct. Root acrid and bitter ; it is used asa masticatory in toothach, and many writers speak well of it as a febrifuge.Lango even affirms that it has cured agues which had resistedthe influence of Peruvian bark. Burnett.ANETHUM.Calyx obsolete. Petals roundish entire involute, with asquarish retuse lobe. Fruit lenticular flattened from the back,surrounded by a flattened border. Half fruits with equidistantfiliform ridges: the 3 dorsal acutely keeled, the 2 lateral moreobsolete, losing themselves in the border. Vittae broad, solitary,filling the whole channels, 2 on the commissure. Uprightsmooth annuals. Leaves decompound, with setaceous linearsegments. Involucre none. Flowers yellow49 E