Umbelliferæ

Umbelliferæ (Apiaceæ of Lindley), a large and important natural order, containing more than 150 genera, 1300 species, abounding chiefly in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. A peculiar regularity distinguishes the inflorescence of most of this order—a number of stalks radiating from a common centre at the top of the stem, or of a branch, each of which bears a flower at its extremity, thus forming what is called an umbel. The umbel is often compound, the primary stalks dividing in a radiated manner, and forming secondary umbels or umbellules. The flowers are generally small, although the umbel which they compose is often large. They are generally white, rarely yellow, still more rarely red, though frequently tinged with pink at the edges. The fruit is very peculiar, and consists of two one-seeded, unopening carpels, rarely fleshy, touching one another on the inner side, and there attached to a little column (the carpophore), their common axis. The Umbelliferæ are mostly herbaceous plants, rarely shrubby. They usually have divided or compound, rarely simple leaves. They generally abound in a resinous secretion, and a volatile oil, from which many of them derive poisonous and medicinal properties, which are more or less common to all parts of the plant, and often highly developed in the seeds. Acridity is their general characteristic. Some are pleasantly aromatic, others have a powerful and disagreeable smell. In the roots of some, especially when enlarged by cultivation, starch and sugar are secreted, so that they become useful for food, although the peculiar flavour of the essential oil is still retained. Of esculent-rooted Umbelliferæ the carrot and parsnip are the best-known examples; skirret, earth-nut, and arracacha are also of some value. The blanched stems of celery, enlarged by cultivation, are a favourite salad. The candied stalks of eryngo are still once much esteemed, and those of angelica are still used. The leaves of parsley, chervil, fennel, &c. are used for flavouring. Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is sometimes cultivated as a salad plant. The seeds of anise, caraway, coriander, &c. are used as carminatives. Hemlock, water hemlock, water parsnip, fool's parsley, and many others are narcotic poisons; asafœtida, galbanum, sagapenum, and opoponax are medicinal products of this order.