CHAP. I.] THE GENUS FICARIA. 17 



Is these verses, and several others in the same 

 strain, Wordsworth sings the praises of the 

 pretty little British plant called pilewort, or 

 the lesser celandine. This plant botanists for- 

 merly included in the genus Ranunculus, but 

 De Candolle, finding that instead of having five 

 sepals and five petals like all the kinds of 

 Ranunculus, it has three sepals, and nine petals, 

 which are narrow and pointed, instead of being 

 broad and somewhat rounded, made it into a 

 new genus under the name of Ficaria ranuncu- 

 loides--— its old name having been Ranunculus 

 Ficaria. Its flowers are of a bright yellow, 

 like those of the buttercup, and of the same 

 dehcate texture and glossy surface; but they 

 are distinguished, not only as I have just ob- 

 served, by having nine narrow pointed petals, 

 and only three sepals, but by the leaves, which 

 are roundish and shining, and not stem-clasping. 

 These peculiarities are so striking, that I knew 

 the Ficaria the first time I saw it in a growing 

 state, merely from having read a description of 

 it. Even when not in flower it may be known, 

 by its roundish smooth leaves, and by the petioles 

 or footstalks of its leaves being the same through- 

 out ; whereas those of all the kinds of Ranun- 

 culus are dilated at the base, to enable them to 

 enfold the stem. 



