Spec. Plant. Willd. i. 1389. Cl. 5. Ord. 2. Pentandria Digynia. Nat. ord. Umbelliferae. G. 53. Cor. somewhat rayed. Flor. of the disk abortive. Fruit hispid with hair. Species 1. D. Carota.1 Common Carrot. Med. Bot. 3d edit. 130.

t. 50. Smith, Flor. Brit. 300. Officinal. Dauci fructus, radix, Lond. Dauci Caroteae radix,

Edin. Dub. Daucus sylvestris; semina, Dub. The root of the cultivated Carrot, and the seed of wild Carrot.

Syn. Carotte (F.), Karotte, Mohrrube (G.), Karoot (Dutch), Derreurt (Dan.), Morot (Swed.), Marchew (Pol.), Carota (I.), Zanahoria ( S.), Cenoira (Port.), Jezer (Arab.), Gajer (H.), Garjara (San.), Carrot halung (Tam.), Zerdek (Pers.).

The carrot is a biennial indigenous plant. In its wild state it is found abundantly in pastures and on hills2; flowering in June and July. It is cultivated for culinary purposes and feeding cattle. The root is spindle-shaped, fleshy, and of a yellow colour; throwing up a round furrowed stem, which rises about two feet in height, and sends off long, erect, naked, floriferous branches: the leaves are large, petiolated, thrice-pinnate, cleft, and hairy •. the flowers are in many-rayed compound umbels, flat on the top, and spreading, but after the flowering season they become condensed in a concave form: the involucre consists of several narrow trifid leaves; the in-volucel is more commonly simple: the marginal flowers are white or yellow; the central, which are abortive, often of a dark blood colour: the seeds are in pairs, egg-shaped, convex, rough, and bristled on one side and flat on the other. These appearances are changed by cultivation, which also increases the size and the nutritious matter of the root.3

Qualities.-The sensible qualities of the root of the cultivated carrot are well known. It contains chiefly mucilage and sugar. The seeds of the wild variety have an aromatic odour, and a warm pungent taste; qualities depending on a volatile oil, which may be separated by distillation with water.

Dioscoridis.

2 We have seen it in great abundance on the range of chalk hills which overlook Ryegate in Surrey.

3 Carrots are seldom sufficiently boiled: but when well boiled, they are very digestible and nutritious.

Medical properties and uses.-The root of the garden carrot is emollient and antiseptic, and is successfully used, when boiled and beaten to a pulp, as a poultice to correct the discharge of foetid and ill-conditioned sores, and to allay the pain of carcinomatous and phagedenic ulcers. The seeds are carminative and diuretic, and hence useful in flatulent cases: but they possess no efficacy in gravel, for which they have been extolled.1

The dose of the bruised seed is from Э j. to 3 j. or more.

Officinal preparation.-Cataplasma Dauci, D.