Flora Medica

THAPSIA.of Cyrene by Delia Cella*, seems to set the question at rest. It is theonly umbelliferous plant inhabiting those regions, which will at allanswer to the figures struck on the Cyrenean coins (see frontispieceof Viviani's FL Libya., and Penny Cyclopaedia, vol. viii. p. 265.), and thisagrees as well with such rude representations as can be expected fromany plant. While, however, it may be considered certain that theSilphion of Cyrene was yielded by Thapsia Silphion, it by no meansfollows that all the? Silphion came from that species. On the contraryPliny (Hist. Nat. lib. xxii.c. 23.) expressly states that in his time itwas chiefly imported from Syria, the worst sort being the Parthian, theMedian of better quality, and that of Cyrene altogether lost.LASERPITIUM.Calyx a 5-toothed rim. Petals obovate, emarginate, with aninflected lobe. Fruit compressed from the back or somewhattaper, 8-winged namely the half-fruits with 5 primary filiform;ridges, and 4 winged secondary ones. A vitta in the channelbelow each secondary ridge. Herbaceous plants. Leaves2-3-pinnate segments entire, or toothed, or cut. Umbels ; manyrayed,showy. Involucres many-leaved. Flowers white, rarelyyellow. The 8 wings of the fruit distinctly mark this genus.115. L. glabrum Crantz austr. iii. 54. DC. prodr. iv. 204.L. latifolium Jacq. austr. t.fl. 146. Fee cours. ii. 209.On the mountains of the continent of Europe in dry and stonyplaces.Leaves bipinnate, quite smooth and shining the ; segments obliquelycordate, here and there mucronate and toothed ;those of the upperleaves entire. Bracts of the involucre setaceous. Wings of the fruitnearly equal and rather crisp. Linnaeus having applied the name ofL. latifolium both to this and L. asperum the former name has beensuppressed by De Candolle. The root is gorged with a gum resinousjuice, which is acrid, bitter and even somewhat caustic. It is reckoneda violent purgative. The French call it Turbith des montagnes andFaux Turbith. Fee.DAUCUS.Calyx a 5-toothed edge. Petals obovate emarginate, withan inflexed point, the outer generally radiating and deeply bifid.Fruit somewhat compressed from the back, ovate or oblong.Half-fruits with the 5 primary ridges filiform and bristly, the3 middle ones at the back, the lateral on the plane of the commissure;the 4 secondary equal, more prominent, winged, splitinto a single row of spines. Vittae solitaryin the channelsbelow the secondary ridges. Usually biennials. Leaves bipinnate.Bracts of involucrum multifid leafy;of involucel nume-* See Viaggio da Tripoli cP. Delia Cella, Genova 1819.53 E 3