Ranunculacee_] THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS. 45° 
being indigenous to the ranges of Taurus and Caucasus. Many of the species are 
identical with those found in more northern latitudes, as Ranunculus arvensis, bulbosus, 
Flammula and salsuginosus, Isopyrum grandiflorum, Delphinium pubescens and Adonis 
@stivalis, while of those which are new, many are in like manner allied to those 
described by Ledebour, Bieberstein, and Meyer, in the Floras Altaica and Taurico 
Caucasica, as Thalictrum Marwellii to T. flavum and appendiculatum. Anemone 
Wallichiana to A. albana and Bungeana, Trollius pumilus to T. patulus. Aquilegia 
Moorcroftiana to A. Sibirica. Aconitum leve to A. septentrionale, and A. multifidum to 
A. anthora. Ranunculus polypetalus must be allied to Ficaria? glacialis of Fischer, 
this being described as having the habit of Caltha appendiculata, a six sepaled calyx and 
a corolla with thirteen petals; while R. pimpinelloides being nearly allied to R. rutefolius 
must be so to the new genus Callianthemum of Ledebour, formed of this. species. 
Some of these Himalayan species assist, though in a small degree, in shewing the analogy 
of Ranunculacee with the other families which have long been pointed out. Thus 
the broad filaments of many of the species show the mode of formation of the petals of 
Nympheacee ; and Anemone tetrasepala with its umbel and partial umbels, supported 
by an involucrum and involucels, points out the relation of this family with the Umbelii- 
Sere. The plants of this family figured in Dr. Wallich’s Plante Asiatice Rariores, as 
well as those in the present Illustrations, will give a very good idea of the highly orna- 
mental nature of the Himalayan species of this family; and there is no doubt, from 
the nature of the climate where they are indigenous, that many of them would be perfectly 
at home in England, where already so many of their European and Siberian congeners 
flourish ; but perhaps Clematis grata from its fragrance, and C. montana from the showy 
nature of its garlands of numerous white rose-like flowers, are the most desirable as orna- 
mental flowers, and Aconitum ferox and. heterophyllum as medicinal plants. To mention 
the rest in detail would be tedious, but there are many others highly ornamental, as 
may: be judged of from the drawings and descriptions. 3 | 
The Ranunculaceé form avery natural family, not only with respect to structure and 
geographical distribution, but also in possessing the same sensible properties and modes 
of action on the human frame.. This is owing to their containing in all parts an 
acrid principle, which Krapf ascertained to be neither acid nor alkaline, but of so volatile 
a nature, that in most cases simple drying in the air, or infusion, or decoction in water, 
is sufficient to destroy_it; that its activity is increased by acids, sugar, honey, wine, 
and spirits, and is only effectually destroyed by water and vegetable acids. (Fee, Cours. 
ad’ Hist. Nat. Pharm. v.i. p. 373.) Two vegetable alkalies, Delpia and Aconitia, the 
latter little known, are produced by the plants of this family ; if the acrid principle be 
always of the volatile nature, that it is represented, the porrentul effects attendant 
on the administration of the root of ‘Aconitum feror even after it had been pre- 
canted som years, must. be ascribed to the presence af some papeinic of a shone. 
permanent nature. According apparently to the proportion of the acrid principle to 
the rest of. the vegetable substance, or perhaps owing to the peculiar nature of the 
ote ee : acrid 
