N. ORD.-RANUNCULACE:, | 1 
GENUS.—CALTHA,®* LINN. 
SEX. SYST.—POLYANDRIA POLYGYNIA. 
CALTHA. 
MARSH MARIGOLD. 
SYN.—CALTHA PALUSTRIS,} LINN.; CALTHA ARTICA, R. BR. 
COM. NAMES.—_MARSH MARIGOLD,} COWSLIPS,? COW’S LIPS, MEADOW- 
BOUTS, WATERBOUTS, COLT’S FOOT,| MARE-BLEBS OR -BLOBS,{ 
AMERICAN COWSLIPS,** PALSY-WORT, WATER DRAGON; (GER.) 
SUMPF RINGELBLUME. 
A TINCTURE OF THE WHOLE FLOWERING PLANT CALTHA PALUSTRIS, LINN. 
Description.—This glabrous, perennial herb, grows to a height of from 6 to 
12 inches. oof a bundle of coarse and closely fasciculated fibers. Stem erect, 
somewhat quadrilateral, furrowed, hollow, thick, and juicy, branched above. Leaves 
alternate, large, orbicular, cordate, or reniform, finely crenate or entire ; Aedzoles of 
the radical leaves long, those of the cauline about equal in length to the width of 
the leaf; sézpu/es quite large, withering after the expansion of the leaf, which they 
cover in the bud. /zflorescence corymbose ; flowers large and regular. Sepals 5 6, 
petaloid, broadly ovate, imbricate in zstivation. Pe/a/s wanting. S’amens numerous ; 
filaments about the length of the anthers; axthers large, innate, and extrorse. 
Pistils 5-10; styles nearly or quite absent; ségmas forming blunt, recurved, mucro- 
nations to the ovaries. /vwt a spreading whorl; /o//icles latterly compressed ; 
seeds numerous, oblong, purplish, furnished with a prominent raphe, and arranged 
in a double series. Read description of the Order under Pulsatilla Nuttalliana, 1. 
History and Habitat—The marsh-marigold is indigenous to the northern 
portions of Europe, Asia, and America; growing on low, wet meadows, bogs, and 
the banks of spring-fed rivulets ; flowering in the United States from April to May. 
* Kédaeo;, kalathos, a chalice, the golden calyx resembling that utensil. 
+ Care should be taken not to confound this plant with Ca//a palustris, Linn , on account of the similarity in the 
names; it bears no resemblance whatever to Calla; the habitats are the same. 
¢ I have known American physicians who claimed that they made their tincture of Calendula from flowers gathered in 
their own neighborhoods (Ca/tha); this error arose from the common name of calendula being marigold. Calendula 
officinalis, Linn., belongs to the Composite, and does not grow wild in this country. The corn-marigold belongs to the 
genus Chrysanthemum (Composite); the fig-mairigold to Mesembryanthemum (Mesembryanthemez); the French and 
African marigolds to Zagetes (Composite), and the bur-marigold to Bidens (Composite). 
- % Cowslips are properly species of the primrose family ( Primulaceze). 
|| Colt’s foot is only applicable to Zusst/ago Farfara, Linn. (Composite). 
{ Mare, marsh; 6/ebs, bladders, more properly blisters. 
** The true American cowslip is Dodecatheon Meadia, Linn. (Primulacee). 
