1 8 POISONOUS PLANTS 



each of which is composed of a stalk or .filament 

 carrying the yellow rt:;/^//^r at the top (Figs, i ; 2 and 

 2*). This consists of two cells, united back to 

 back by the continuation of the filament, called the 

 connective (shown in Fig. 2). The cells split down the 

 edges and liberate the pollen, a kind of dust 

 consisting of yellow spherical grains. 



If the stamens be removed, a small globular 

 structure will be seen left behind. This is the Pistil, 

 which consists of numerous free carpels^ making 

 the fourth whorl (Figs. 3 and 6). 



We will now refer to the illustration for more 

 special details. 



This represents the flowering top of our common 

 field buttercup [^Ranunculus acris), called acris by 

 Linnaeus because of its very acrid juice. The leaves 

 spring up from the ground and have their blades 

 deeply cleft into about five sharp-pointed "seg- 

 ments "; and then, these are again cleft. The flower- 

 stalk is smooth and round (not fluted as in the 

 bulbous buttercup, which flowers rather earlier 

 than the field buttercup). 



Examining a flower, it will be seen that the 

 sepals spread out under the petals [b) ; {a) repre- 

 sents little bracts. These are rudimentary blades 

 of leaves reduced to one or a few segments only. 

 The petal (Fig. i) shows the minute notched 

 flap in front of a honey-pit. Fig. 2* is a stamen 

 showing an anther just beginning to burst down 



