leaves springing from the thick blackish root-stock. Root-
leaves on long stalks, palmate, with cordate base and 5,
rarely 7, cuneate lobes, divided as to the mid-lobe almost to
the leaf-stalk, the lateral ones more connate; points often
trifid; margins incised, the coarse teeth, or lobules, again
serrated with small bristle-tipped teeth: colour a deep green,
paler and shining on the under side, where the reticulated
veins are very prominent. Leaf-stalks sheathing at the base,
upwards nearly cylindrical with a narrow groove, tubular,
finely striated. Stem about 3 feet high, tubular, cylindrical,
striated, erect and straight, with about 3 distant knots, each
producing a leaf, and the uppermost often a sharp-axillary
branch terminated by an umbel of 1-3 umbellules. Stem-
leaves similar to the root-leaves, but gradually smaller and on
shorter stalks; the uppermost only 3-lobed, its stalk reduced
to a mere sheath. Terminal umbel of few rays, scarcely exceeding
5 besides the central one, the stalk of which is a
straight continuation of the stem, and longer than the lateral
ones: these are of unequal lengths, somewhat angular, each
subtended by a sheathing trifid bract (or involucral leaf)
resembling the uppermost stem-leaf: occasionally they are
jointed about their mid-length, and beset there with 2 or 3
undivided bracts and as many secondary umbellules, which,
however, are more commonly abortive. Involucel of numerous
entire (or more rarely trifid), lanceolate, bristle-pointed,
3-veined, coloured leaves, usually tinged with pink, sometimes
white, beautifully reticulated and tipped with green, spreading
horizontally or slightly deflexed when the flowers are in perfection,
afterward ascending and forming a cup under the
ripening fruits. Flowers numerous, forming a dense convex
umbellule, rather shorter than the involucel; their stalks
about as long as the flower, hair-like, usually of a deep rose
colour, sprinkled with minute nearly sessile glands. Calyx
deeply cut into 5 triangular-lanceolate acuminate segments,
with white keel and margin, overtopping the acute, inflexed,
white petals. Stamens, when at length they unroll themselves,
three times as long as the calyx; filaments white; unburst
anthers crimson. Styles shorter than the stamens, diverging
upwards; stigmas simple, obtuse, scarcely thickened. Fruit
crowned with the persistent calyx and styles, obovate, slightly
compressed, 10-furrowed, the ridges covered with a white
plicate-dentate inflated skin, and imperfectly 2-celled within.
A varying proportion of the flowers are male, on stalks as long
as stalk and germen together of the hermaphrodite flowers.
Every part of the plant is free from pubescence, if we except
the minute glands on the flower-stalks.
Among British plants, the nearest affinity of this beautiful
species is to Sanicula europcea.—From the late Mr. W.
B o r r e r ’s MS.