BOTANICAL NOTICE. 117 



projection, which is the style, and the tip of this, which is now shining 

 and wider than the style, is the stigma. Each one of these carpels 

 contains a single ovula or young seed, which occupies hut a small 

 part of the cavity of the carpel at first, but in time the ovula in- 

 creases in size so as to fill the cavity of the carpel completely. After 

 the calyx, corolla, and stamens have fallen off, the cluster of carpels 

 do not materially change in form, but increase in size and ripen into 

 the fruit of the plant. 



On looking at the other parts of the plant, it will be observed 

 that the leaves are dark green, and that they are very much divided 

 by deep indentations, and the form of the leaf is more simple as we 

 ascend from the root to the summit of the plant. 



The juices of this tribe of plants are invariably acrid, especially 

 those of the ranunculus acris, or burning crowfoot of our meadows, 

 and the ranunculus scleratus or wicked crowfoot of our ditches and 

 ponds. The juices of these plants excoriate the skin, and even form 

 ulcers that are diflScult to heal ; and simply carrying specimens in 

 the hand for a short thne will sometimes inflame its surface. 



The ranunculus aquatilis or water crowfoot is not in possession of 

 these acrid properties in such a high degree as the rest, indeed so 

 mild is it, that in some parts of the country it is made use of as 

 fodder for cows and even horses. There is one peculiarity respecting 

 it which is worth naming, that is, the diflference in form of the leaves 

 which are submersed from those which are floating upon the surface 

 of the water ; the fonner are subdivided into a number of hair-like 

 filaments, whilst the latter are but little separated into lobes. Some 

 foreign species of ranunculus are much cultivated in gardens, on 

 account of the beauty of their flowers, which have a tendency to 

 become double. 



To the group ranunculaca also belong the anemonies, whose 

 flowers are so attractive with their white, blue, or purple petals on 

 wooded banks. These have the calyx and corolla mixed together so 

 that we cannot distinguish the one from the other ; and when their 

 flowers are gone they bear little tufts of feathery tails, or oval, woolly 

 heads in the place of the clusters of grains which we observed in the 

 ranunculus. If wc observe the leaves, or stamens, or young carpels. 



