THE FLORIST. 57 



THE RANUNCULUS. 



The Ranunculus Asiaticus is generally believed to be indi- 

 genous to Turkey and Persia. It has long been cultivated 

 in this country, but the precise time of its introduction is in- 

 volved in obscurity. John Gerarde, a herbalist of celebrity, 

 and who is reputed to have had a choice botanic garden in 

 Holborn in the year 1596, wrote concerning the Ranunculus ; 

 and about the same time Parkinson, in his Paradisus Terres- 

 tris, specifically enumerates several varieties of this flower. 



The Dutch, who have long been noted for floral pursuits, 

 were early acquainted with the cultivation of the Ranunculus, 

 and some of their catalogues, about a century ago, contained 

 several hundred names. Van Oosten, the Leyden gardener, 

 whose work was printed in English in 1703, says, at page 103 : 

 " There are two sorts of Ranunculus, single and double. The 

 double ones are of one colour, or striped. The striped we 

 have all sorts of colours, black and white striped with several 

 colours, and the same is also in the single ones. This flower 

 is admired because of their beautiful high colours, that dazzle 

 one's sight when the sun shineth on them." Mason, formerly 

 of Fleet Street, was a large importer of Dutch bulbs. His 

 catalogue of 1820 contains nearly 400 sorts of Ranunculus. 

 Many of these have been discarded, but among them were 

 flowers of the dark scarlet and striped classes, which have not 

 yet been surpassed ; such as L'CEil Noir, Naxara, Viola le vrai 

 Noir, Her van Gom Montauban, Melange, &c. 



Between 1815 and 1820 must be regarded as a new era 

 in Ranunculus culture. English florists, who had hitherto 

 been dependent on continental growers for their gems, about 

 this time commenced raising Ranunculuses from seed. The 

 Rev. W. Williamson and Mr. Tyso were perhaps the ear- 

 liest and most successful raisers in England who gave the 

 results of their persevering skill to the world ; and in Scot- 

 land, Messrs. Waterston and Lightbody were early initiated 

 in the art of raising seedlings. Varieties of this fine flower, 

 therefore, soon became innumerable; and within these last 

 seven years many splendid additions, with brilliant edgings 

 and spots on white and yellow grounds, have been produced. 

 Of these, hardly a fair type existed in the early reminiscences 

 of our present cultivators, shewing that great advances have 

 been made in bringing to perfection this beautiful tribe of 

 flowers. 



The varieties which illustrate our present Number were 



VOL. II. NO. XV. F 



