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O E N A N T H E peucedanifolia,
Sulphur-wort Water-dropwort.
P E N T A ND R1A Digynia.
G en. C har. Florets irregular: thofe of the diilj
feflile and barren. Fruit crowned with the calyx.
Spec. Char. Leaflets all linear. General involucruin
none. Knobs of the root feflile, elliptical.
Syn . Oenanthe peucedanifolia. Follich Plant. Palat.
vol. i. 289. t. 3. Sibth. Ox. 98.
S eN T by W. Mathew, Efq. from near Bury, and by the
Rev. Mr. Abbot from the neighbourhood of Bedford. Profeflor
Sibthorp alfo found it in feveral places about Oxford, as mentioned
in his Flora. No other Britifh author has noticed this
fpecies, probably having confounded it with O. pimpinelhidesx
which is rather a maritime plant, while peucedanifolia grows in
frefli inland waters.
The root of this confifts of thick oval or elliptical knobs,
which tafte fomething like parfnep, but are probably dangerous
food. Stem thicker than in the preceding, as well as taller and
more ereft. Radical leaves bipinnate; ftem-leaves fcarcely
more than pinnate; leaflets all linear and acute, by which it is
at once diftinguilhed from the preceding, as well as by the want
of a general involucrum, of which there are fcarcely ever any
£gns. The rays of the general umbel are alfo fewer and much
thicker than in O. pimpinelloides, and the calyx is more ereft.
The flowers appear in June, and are often reddifh, the marginal
ones frequently female only, being impregnated by thofe of the
centre.