CHAP. I.] 



THE GENUS RANUNCULUS. 



13 



ovary contains only one ovule, and when the 

 seed ripens, the carpel does not open to discharge 

 it, but drops with the seed. When the flower 

 is fully expanded, the green carpels may be seen 

 in the centre, surrounded by the stamens, as 

 shown at h mjig. 5 ; but after the petals drop, 



Fig. 5. — Flowkr and ripk carpels of the Buttercup. 



the stamens also disappear, and the carpels in- 

 crease in size, till they assume the appearance 

 shown at i^ which shows the kind of head formed 

 by the carpels on the receptacle after the flower 

 has faded. 



The plant from which my drawings were made 

 was a common buttercup, Ranunculus acris, 

 which my readers will easily recognise if they 

 should meet with it, by its erect flower-stem, 

 deeply cut leaves, and fibrous root. Another 

 species {Ranunculus hulbosus) is, also, sometimes 

 called the buttercup; but it is easily distin- 

 guished by its bulbous root. Both these, and 

 several other species, have deeply cut leaves, 



