9. PEUCÉDANUM, L.
Calyx-teeth mostly obsolete. Fruit roundish to oblong, much flattened dorsally; dorsal ribs filiform and approximate; the lateral extended into broad closely coherent wings; oil-tubes 1–4 in the intervals, 2–6 on the commissure.—Dry ground acaulescent (or short caulescent) herbs, with fusiform roots, dissected leaves, no involucre, yellow or white flowers, and stylopodium depressed or wanting. (The ancient Greek name.)
1. P. nudicaùle, Nutt. Pubescent, with peduncles 3–8´ high; leaves bipinnate, the small oblong segments entire or toothed; involucels of scarious-margined (often purplish) lanceolate bractlets; flowers white or pinkish; fruit almost round, emarginate at base, glabrous, with wings hardly as broad as the body, and indistinct or obsolete dorsal ribs; oil-tubes solitary in the intervals.—Minn. to Iowa and Kan., and westward. One of the earliest spring bloomers.
2. P. fœniculàceum, Nutt. Tomentose or glabrous, with peduncles 8–12´ long; leaves finely dissected, with short filiform segments; involucels gamophyllous, 5–7-cleft, with conspicuously hairy margins; flowers yellow; fruit broadly oblong, glabrous, with wings half as broad as the body, and prominent dorsal ribs; oil-tubes 1–3 in the intervals.—Minn. to Tex. March–April.
3. P. villòsum, Nutt. More or less pubescent throughout, 3–8´ high; leaves finely dissected, with very numerous narrow crowded segments; involucels of ovate to linear bractlets; flowers yellow; fruit oval, with wings half as broad as the body, and prominent dorsal ribs; oil-tubes 3 or 4 in the intervals.—Minn. to Neb. and Dak., southwestward to Ariz. Root much elongated.
10. CYMÓPTERUS, Raf.
Calyx-teeth more or less prominent. Fruit usually globose, with all the ribs conspicuously winged; oil-tubes one to several in the intervals, 2–8 on the commissure. Stylopodium depressed. Seed-face slightly concave.—Mostly low (often cespitose) glabrous perennials, from a thick elongated root, more or less pinnately compound leaves, with or without an involucre, prominent involucels, and white flowers (in ours). (From κῦμα, a wave, and πτερόν, a wing, referring to the often undulate wings.)
1. C. glomeràtus, Raf. Low (3–8´), with a short erect caudex bearing leaves and peduncles at the summit, glabrous; rays and pedicels very short, making a compact cluster; involucre none; involucel of a single palmately 5–7-parted bractlet; fruit globose (3–4´´ in diam.); wings rather corky; oil-tubes 4 or 5 in the intervals.—Minn. and Wisc. to Iowa and Ark., and westward.
2. C. montànus, Torr. & Gray. Of similar habit (1–6´ high), glaucous and mostly glabrous; rays 3–9´´ long, pedicels very short; involucre and involucels of mostly broad membranaceous usually green-veined bracts (more or less united); fruit oblong to orbicular in outline (3–6´´ long); wings thin; oil-tubes 1–3 in the intervals.—Neb. to central Kan., Tex., and westward. April.
11. THÁSPIUM, Nutt. Meadow-Parsnip.