k 



The Jiissieuean, or Natural, System of Plants, 137 



Subclass I. THALAMIFLO^RiE. 



Petals inserted into the receptacle. 

 The insertion of the petals and stamens into the receptacle 

 is the great character of this subclass, which, therefore, con- 

 tains all the polyandrous plants of Linnaeus, as the Calycifl6ra2 

 contain the icosandrous genera of the same botanist. 



Section 1. Carpella {dim. q/'karpos, a fruit ; aggregate pericarps) numerous, 

 or stamens opposite the petals, 



OiiDEK I. i2ANUNCULA^CE^. 



The greater part of the plants of this order are objects of in- 

 terest with gardeners, containing, as it does, many of the most 

 elegant or showy of tjie tribes of hardy plants. It is here that 

 the graceful clematis, the lowly anemone, the glittering ranuncu- 

 lus, and the gaudy pa^ony are found ; differing, indeed, in exter- 

 nal appearance, but combined by all the essential characters of 

 the fructification. It is remarkable, however, that the acrid and 

 venomous properties of these plants are nearly as powerful as 

 their beauty is great. They are all caustic, and in many of 

 them the deleterious principle is in most dangerous abundance. 

 M. DecandoUe remarks that its nature is extremely singular ; 

 it is so volatile, that, in most cases, simple drying in the air or 

 infusion in water is sufficient to destroy it : it is neither acid 

 nor alkaline ; but its activity is increased by acids, honey, 

 sugar, wine, or alcohol ; and it is, in reality, destructible only 

 by water. The crowfoots of our European pastures, and the 

 Anemone trilobata and triternata of those of South America, 

 are well known poisons of cattle. Blistering plasters are made 

 in Iceland of the leaves of jRanunculus acris. The foliage of 

 some species of Clematis is supposed to afford the means em- 

 ployed by beggars of producing artificial ulcers. Some of the 

 aconites are diuretic, especially Napellus and Cammarum. 

 i)elphinium Consolida is said to be an ingredient in those 

 French cosmetics which are so destructive of the surface of 

 the skin. The iielleborus, famous in classical history for its 

 drastic powers, and the Nigella, celebrated in ancient house- 

 wifery for its aromatic seeds, which were used for pepper be- 

 fore that article was discovered, are both comprehended in 

 jRanunculacese. The range of this order, in a geographical 

 point of view, is very extensive. A great number has been 

 discovered in Europe, but they are so abundant in all parts of 

 the world that an order can scarcely be found more universally 

 and equally dispersed. It is singular, that, with the exception 

 of the climbing species of Clematis and of Xanthorhiza, 



