Flora Medica

APIACEJE OR UMBELLIFERJE.volucres variable. Flowers yellow or yellowish green, oftenpolygamous.125. S. Olusatrura Linn. sp. plant. 376. Eng. Sot. t. 230. D C.prodr. iv. 247. Wet places throughout Europe. (Alexander.)Stem taper. Cauline leaves ternate, with ovate serrated segments.Involucels very short. Formerly cultivated in lieu of Celery; theleaves have a pleasant slightly aromatic flavour. The fruit is carminativeand used to be officinal.CORIANDRUM.Calyx-teeth 5, acute, unequal, permanent. Petals obovate emarflnateruit globose, with 10 ribs, scarcely separating. Half-fruitswith an inflexed segment, the exterior radiating and bifid,with 5 primary depressed wavy ridges and 4 secondary ones(besides the marginals) more prominent and keeled. Channelswithout vittae ; commissure with 2 vittae. Seed hollowed out infront with a loose skin. A smooth herb. Leaves multifid.Umbel with 3-5 rays. Involucre none. Involucels about3-leaved, halved.126. C. sativum Linn. sp. 367. DC. prodr. iv. 250. Eng.Bot. t. 67. Fl. Grac. t. 283. Nees and Eberm. pi. med. t. 286.handb.iv.15. Woodv.t.l8l. S. and C. il. t. 94. Smith Eng. Fl.ii. 67. In the corn-fields of Tartary (Szovitz), the Levant,Greece, Italy, south of Europe. Not really wild in England.(Coriander.)Root tapering. Stem erect, 12 or 18 inches high, more or lessbranched, leafy, round, striated. Lower leaves pinnate, on longishslender stalks, their leaflets wedge-shaped, or fan-shaped, and acutelynotched ; upper leaves multifid, in fine linear segments. Umbelsstalked, of 4 or 5 general rays, rarely more ;the partial rays morenumerous. Flowers white, often with a reddish tint. Fruit palebrown, somewhat coriaceous, spherical, 1J line in diameter, all theridges indistinctly shown in consequence of their slight elevation ;thevittae of the commissure short, lunate, just visible without dissection.Fruit carminative and aromatic. Cullen considered it as more powerfullycorrecting the odour and taste of senna, than any other aromatic.ARALIACE^l.Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 25.PANAX.Flowers polygamous. Calyx obsolete, 5-toothetl. Petals 5.Stamens 5, inserted with the petals under the edge of the diskand alternate with them. Styles 2-3, short. Fruit succulent,compressed, orbicular, 2-3-celled; cells leathery 1-seeded.58