nate, sharply, and often almost doubly serrated, most frequently
unequal at the base, sometimes cordate, or rarely,
as in the case of the terminal leaflet, attenuated at both
ends, either stalked or sessile, varying from 1 to 4 inches
long, and from half an inch to nearly 2 inches in breadth;
smooth and green above ; somewhat paler and slightly
hairy beneath. Footstalks furrowed, purplish, and bristly ;
dilated at the base ; those of the upper leaves shorter, and
sheathing the stem. Umbels loose, spreading. Peduncles
and pedicels filiform, quite smooth. Involucrum of a single,
short, lanceolate, attenuated, fringed, membranous leaf, or
generally entirely wanting. Partial involucrum of from 8
to 10 leaflets, which are lanceolate, attenuated into a long
point, membranous, and fringed at the margin, longer than
the pedicels. Flowers white, the central sessile one and a
few others only fertile. Calyx wholly adherent; the margin
obsolete. Petals obovate, emarginate, with an inflected
point; the outer ones somewhat larger. Styles short, recurved.
Stigmas more rarely perfect, slightly capitate.
Fruit about half an inch long, quite smooth, compressed at
the sides, crowned with the persistent styles, linear in the
young state ; but as it advances to maturity it becomes contracted
towards the top, and is then somewhat fusiform.
Achenia, convex at the back, with 5 broad flattish ribs,
which frequently become confluent at the top, and furnished
at the commisure with a deep and broad channel; the 2
lateral ribs situate close to the edge of the commisure. Furrows
shallow, and narrow. Yittas solitary in the furrows;
but at the commisure they are 4, and more closely approximated
than in the other species of this genus. Carpophore
compressed, two-edged, and bifid at the top; edges
blunt. Epigynous disk depressed.
The genus Myrrhis being very properly limited to M.
odorata, the Scandix odorata of Linnaeus, we have followed
Hoffmann, Koch, and DeCandolle, in restoring the appellation
of Chasrophyllum to that group which includes the
greater part of the Linnaean species of this genus. The Scottish
specimens are much smaller than the plant represented
by Jacquin, and our description, which has been drawn up
with great care, will be found to differ in some important
points from that given in English Flora ; but there can be no
question as to the identity of the species.—D . D o n ,