m
Bunium Bulbocastanum. Earth-Nut.
BUNIUM Lin. Gen. PI. Pen tand k ia D ig yn ia .
Corolla uniformis. Umbella conferta. FruLlus ovatus.
Raii Syn Gen. 11. Umbelliferä Herbie.
BUNIUM Bulbocafianum. Lin. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 229. Sp. PL p. 349.
BULBOCASTANUM. Haller, Hiß. n. 783.
BULBOCASTANUM. I. B. III. 2. 30.
BULBOCASTANUM majus folio apii. Bauhin. Pin. 162.
BULBOCASTANUM majus et minus. Ger. emac. 1065.
NUCULA terreftris major. Parkin/. 893. Raii Syn. p. 209. Earth-Nut, Kipper-Nut, Pig-Nut,
Hudfon. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 122. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 156. Oeder. Fl. Dan. t. 220.
• ADIX perennis, tuberofa, extus caftanei coloris, intus $
alba, folida, fibras turn ab imo turn a lateribus |
promens tenues, guflu fubdulci grato, pro-1
funde in terra delitefcente. f
3AULIS pedalis, ad bipedalem, ere&us, teres, firmulus, |
craflitie pennas coracis, fubftriatus, glaber, pe- v
nitus viridis, ramofus. I
|pOLIA radicalia longe petiolata, caulina feflilia, omni-1
bus tenuiflime divifis, foeniculi modo, faturate |
viridibus, marginibus foliorum ad lentem aeu- »
leato-ciliatis, Jig. 7. autt. Spatha brevis, ful-|
catus, lævis, margine membranaceâ, albidâ. $
(jMBELLÆ plures, univer/alis multiplex radiis feptem |
ad duodecim, partialis breviflima, conferta, $
radiis circiter duodecim.
fiNVOLUCRUM univer/ale polyphyllum, lineare, |
breve, fæpe nullum; partialeXtXd.cç.\im, Ion-#
gitudine umbellulae, aliquando nullum. Pe-%
rianthium proprium vix manifeftu.m.
COROLLA univerfalis uniformis, fiofeuîi plerique fer-1
tiles; propria Petalis quinque, inflexo-cordatis$
æqualibus. fig. 2.
pTAMINA: Filament a quinque alba, fubulata, eo-f
rollalongiora, decidua. Antheræ fimplices, *
flavefcentes. Jig. 3. ,
|ISTILLUM : G ermen oblongum, inferüm, viride. ^
Styli duo albi, fuberecti. Stigm a ta obtufa.
fig. 4, 5.
!EMlNAduo,oblo n go -ovata, hinc convexainde plana, %
glabra, fubaromatica. fig. 6, 7. f
RO OT perennial, tuberous, on the outfide o f a chefnut
colour, within white, folid, putting forth Bender
fibres from the fides as well as the bottom,
of an agreeable fweetifh tafte, lying deep in
• the ground.
S T A LK from one to two feet high, upright, round,
ftiffifh, the thicknefs of a crow-quill, flightly
ftriated, fmooth, throughout of a green colour,
and branched.
LEAVES from the root ftanding on long foot-flalks,
thofe of the ftalk feffile, all of them very finely
divided like fennel, the imall leaves edged with
prickly hairs, fig. 1. magn. Sheath fhort,
grooved, fmooth, the edge membranous and
whitilh.
UMBELLS feveral, the general one compofed o f many
rays from fevento twelve; the. partial one very
fhort, the rays about twelve and clofe.
INVOLUCRUM: the general one compofed of many
leaves, linear, fhort, often wanting; xhtpartial
one fetacequs, the length of the fmall urn-
bell, often wanting. • Partial Perianthium
fcarcely manifeft.
C O R O L L A : general Corolla uniform, moft o f the
flowers fertile; individual one compofed of
five Petals, heart-fhaped, bent in at top, and
equal, fig. 2.
STAMINA: five Filaments of a white colour, tapering,
longer than the corolla, deciduous. A nther
jr fimple and yellowifh. fig. 3.
PISTILLUM: G ermen oblong, beneath the corolla,
of a green colour. Sty le s two, white,
nearly upright. Stigm a ta blunt, fig. 4, 5.
SEEDS two, of an oblong-ovate fhape, convex on one
fide and flat on the other, fmooth, and fome-
what aromatic, fig. 6, 7.
i Children are frequently in the praftiee of digging up and eating the knobby roots of this plant, which, by fome,
| re fuppofed to refemble the chefnut in its tafte, whence its name of Bulbocdjlanum. Pigs.alfo feek for it with avidity,
| toni which circumflance it has alfo obtained the name of Pig-Nut.
§ jewofour Umbelliferi have the chara&eriftic marks which diftinguifh the Bunium; the principal of which are
B Knobbed root, and finely divided fennel-like leaves. The one which approaches the neareft to it is the Oenanthe
jlwLoja, efpecially when growing on ditch banks, where it is frequently thrown when the ditches are cleanfed, or
[•v,len ||ls cultivated in gardens; the roots, in fuch fituations, are fofimilar to thofe of the Bunium, as to deceive
Ken good judges. The radical leaves of the plant are alfo finely divided; it would be no wonder, therefore,- if
Bey Ihould be miftaken for the Earth-Nut.
paper was publifhed, about a year ago, in one of the Magazines,' the London, if I miftake riot, in which the
|j Is 0 J‘1e Oenanthe crocata, well known for their poifonous erfe&s, were faid to have been eaten for thofe of this
K ,• ” e lufpeft, however, from various cireumflances, that they were the roots of the Oenanthefiflulofa. It is
| intention to make a more minute inquiry into this matter, and give our reafons more at large for this fufpicion.
figure that fpecies. - * _ F |
. le Lauh-Nut with us grows chiefly in woods, paftures, and orchards, and flowers in June.