ILLUSTRATIONS 
OF THE 
BOTANY OF THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS. 
RANUNCULACES. 
Tue Ranunculaceae, named from their principal genus, and well known from 
containing many most ornamental garden flowers, as well as affording several very 
energetic medicines, form a family well suited to commence the series, and display 
the advantages of the natural method of classification, from presenting so many points 
of affinity in organic structure, geographical distribution, and in the possession of 
similar sensible and medical properties. They are extensively diffused throughout the 
cold and temperate parts of the globe, with only a few chiefly aquatic species existing in 
warmer regions. They are found every where in mountainous regions, from the bleak 
and exposed summits in the neighbourhood of melting snow, to the rich, shady, and 
moist valleys everywhere occurring in hilly regions where the elevation is sufficient to 
ensure moderation of temperature. As nearly one hundred species of Ranunculacee 
have been discovered in the Himalayas, their preponderance over many other natural 
orders which are properly considered characteristic of warm regions, displays at the 
first step how different must be the climate and Flora of the Himalayan mountains from 
that of India in general. But as several of these species have been ascertained to be 
identical with, while others which are new, have been found to be closely allied to 
those indigenous to other countries, considerable resemblance in climate may be inferred 
from the similarity in vegetable productions. In the plains of India but few of 
this family are found. Ranunculus aquatilis and sceleratus, from their existence in or 
vicinity to water, experiencing greater equability both of temperature and moisture than 
if more exposed to atmospherical changes, are found in most parts of the world. So 
the former is found in the north-western provinces, and the latter exists in every 
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