MEUM ATHAMANTICUM. SPIGNEL OR BALD-
MONEY.
MEUM athamanticum ; caule simpliciusculo, foliis omnibus supra decompositis setaceis, foliolis subverti-
cillätis, vaginis petiolorum dilatatis, involucro submonophyllo, involucellis subdimidiatis. Roem.
et Sch.
MEUM athamanticum. Jacq. Fl. Austr. vol. 4. t. 303. Smith Fl. B rit. p. 308. Engl. Bot. t. 52249.
Pers. Syn. PI. vol. \ .p . 319. Hort. Kern. ed. 2. vol. 2 .p. 150. Roem. et Schultz Syst. Veg.
vol. 6. p. 431.
iETHUSA Meum. Linn. Syst. Veg. “ ed. 14. p. 287.” With. Bot. Arr. ed. 4. vol. 2. p. 300. Hoffm.
Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1. P . I. p. 140. Wïlld. Sp. PI. vol. 1. p. 1447.
ATHAMANTA Meum. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 353.' Huds. A ngl.p. 1 16 . Light/. Scot. p. 157.
LIGUSTICUM Meum. Crantz Austr. p. 199- Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. vol. 4. p. 310. Fl. Gall.
Syn. p. 308. Smith Comp. Fl. B rit. ed. 3. p. 46. Hook. Fl. Scot. P . I. p. 252.
MEUM; Hall. Helv. n. 761. Common Spignel or Meu. Raii Syn. p. 207.
Class a n d O r d e r . PENTANDRJA DIGYNIA.
[N a tu r a l Or d e r . UMBELLIFERJE, Juss., Decand., Hook.]
G e n . Ch a r . Involucrum (sub-) nullum. Involucella oligophylla. Fructus prismatici, costis quinque acutis,
valleculis planis, raphe excavata. Spreng.
G e n . Ch a r . Involucre scarcely any. Involucels small. Fruit prismatic, with five sharp angles, the furrows
plane, the raphis (space between the akenia) hollowed out.
Ra d ix perennis, fusiformis, superne reliquiis fibrosis fo-
liorum vetustorum dense vestita.
Ca u l is erectus, rigidus, teres, striatus, superne subdi-
chotome ramosus, ad ramos unifoliosus.
Fo lia pracipue radicalia, tres ad sex uncias longa, pa-
tentia, lzete-viridia, flexuosa, bi-tripinnata, pinnis
ultimis capillaceo-multipartitis, breviusculis et
quasi verticillatis: Petioli compressi, supra cana-
liculati, basi foliorum superiorum insigniter dila-
tati, membranacei, vaginati.
Flores umbellati, alb i: Umbellie mediocres : Radii
subiequales, post florescentiam longitudine in-
tcquales.
I nvolucrum sa?pe nullum, nunc e foliolo parvo solita-
rio setaceo : Involucellum e foliolis parvis subu-
. latis tribus vel quatuor, subsecundis.
Ca l y x obsoletus.
Corolla pentapetala, petalis ovatis, subattenuatis, pa-
tentibus, apicibus incurvis.
St am in a quinque, patentia: Filamenta corolla longiora:
Anthene rotundatae, flavescentes.
G e rm e n inferum, ovatum, sulcatum : Styli duo, erecto-
patentes, basi insigniter incrassati, rotundati,
carnosi: Stigmata obfosa.
F ructus ovato-ellipticus, fuscus, lateraliter compressus:
Akenia, singulo angulis quinque acutis.
Fig. 1. Single flower. Fig. 2. Side view of a
Root perennial, fusiform, on the upper part clothed
densely with the fibrous remains o f the old leaves.
Stem erect, rigid, rounded, striated, above subdichoto-
mous, branched, with a single leaf at the branches.
L eaves mostly radical, from three to six inches long,
patent, deep green, flexuose, bi-tripinnate, the
ultimate pinnee capillficeo-multipartite, shortish
and appearing verticillate: Petioles compressed,
grooved above, remarkably dilated at the base of
the upper leaves, membranaceous and sheathing.
Flowers umbellate, white: Umbels o f a middling size:
Rays nearly equal, after flowering unequal in
length.
I nvolucre often none, sometimes of a single small setaceous
leaf: Involucel of about three or four
small subulate subsecund leaves.
Ca ly x obsolete.
Corolla pentapetalous, the petals ovate, subattenuated,
patent, the apices incurved.
Stam en s five, patent: Filaments longer than the co-
; ro lla: Anthers roundish, yellow.
Ge rm e n inferior, ovate, furrowed : Styles two, erecto-
patent, much thickened at the base, rounded,
fleshy: Stigmas obtuse.
F r u it ovato-elliptical, brown, laterally compressed :
Akenia, each of them with five acute angles.
fruit. Fig. 3. The same seen from the back.
An inhabitant of mountainous pastures, in various parts both of Great Britain and Ireland. In Scotland, especially
in the Highlands, it is very common; but in no part of Europe have I seen it in such plenty as in Glen Lyon,
near where the water of Rora comes down from the back of Ben Lawers, and unites with the river Lyon. There
upon hilly pastures you walk upon vast carpets of it, which on being thus bruised give out such a powerful aromatic
odour, as must attract the attention of the most indifferent observer.
The root and the seeds, however, possess this aromatic quality in the highest degree; the leaves being almost
destitute of it. The former have been consequently employed as stomachics and carminatives. The whole plant
is said to give a Melilot-like flavour to the milk and cheese of cattle that eat of it in the spring. A strong infusion
put into cheese makes it resemble the famous Chapziegar.
The generic name has been given from the circumstance o f the plant having been supposed by some early writers
to be the true Ms/ov of Dioscorides; but that cannot be, since, as Sir James Smith says, the true Ms/ov or Mtjoi/ of Dios-
corides is described as being two cubits in height. This derives the word from /.mov (minus) from the extreme fineness
of the leaves. I t is remarkable that one of the common English names should be very similar to this, Meu
or Mew. The word Bear-wort has been applied in consequence of the roughness and shagginess of the upper part
of the root. I know not the derivation of the English name Bald-money. Bawd-money, as written in Scotch, is
probably derived from bawd, a hare.
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