$Lo & [ 9 8 8 ]
BUNIUM flexuofum.
Common Earth-nut.
P E NTJNDRIA Digynia.
G en. C har. Involucra general and partial. Corolla
uniform. Umbels denfe. Fruit ovate.
Spec. C har. General involucrum of fcarcely three
leaves. Stem at the bafe tapering, zigzag, and
naked.
Syn . Bunium flexuofum. With. 201. Sm. FI.
Brit. 301. Sym. 70. Hull. 60. Sibth. 04.
ribbot. 60.
B. Bulbocaftanum. Hudf. 122. Relb. 118. Curt.
Land. fafc. 4. t. 24.
Bulbocaftanum. Rail Syn. 209.
A WEL L-KN OW N inhabitant of gravelly paftures, whofe
white flowers are confpicuous throughout the month of June,
and whofe roundith flethy roots are eagerly fought by boys;
lefs perhaps for the fake of their fweetith pungent flavour,
than for the amufement of tracing them to their deep fitua-
tion by means of the flender tapering and tender bafis of the
ftem. If this clue be loft, it is not eafily recovered.
Thefe roots are perennial. Stem about a foot high, fmooth,
branched and leafy upward. Leaves tripinnate, with narrow
linear uniform fegments, fmooth, bright green; the radical
ones on long taper zigzag ftalks. Umbels terminal, ereft, of
many rays. General involucrum of one to three fmall linear
leaves, often altogether wanting; partial of feveral fuch leaves.
Petals regular. Fruit ovate, fmooth, tipped with purple.
Although Linnaeus confounded this with the Bulbocajlanum
majus o f old authors, the latter appears to be what he had before
him when dcfcribing Jiis Bunium Bulhocajlcmum, and is a very
rate plant with us. Dillenius in Ray’s SynopJist 209, has
mentioned both, and Dr. Stokes has well diftinguifhed them
in the 2d edition of Withering.