18 EANUNCULACE^ 



straw. Its creeping roots, however, always characterise it, even when in 

 gardens. Cattle reject it as food ; but, like all the species, it loses its acridity 

 in drying, and makes good hay. The Buttercup has several old English 

 names, some of which, as King-cup, are retained in country places. Gold 

 Cups and Gold Balls are names now almost forgotten ; and if this flower is 

 the " tufted crow-toe," which Milton wreathes in his garland for 



" Young Lyuidas, that liath not left liis iieer," 



then one of its old names is retained in the Crowfoot of modern days. 



The French call the buttercup Bouton d'or, and it is the Pie corvino of the 

 Italians. The Germans term it Hahnenfuss. Ben Jonson calls these flowers 

 King-cups. 



16. Meadow Crowfoot {R. dcris). — Calyx spreading; flower-stalks 

 rounded, not furrowed; leaves three-cleft, their segments cut into acute 

 divisions, those of the upper leaves very slender. Perennial. This species, 

 which blooms from Apiil to September, is, as its name imports, very acrid. 

 Cattle only eat it when hungry ; and Curtis says that if eaten by them in 

 any quantity it will blister their mouths. He adds that he blistered his 

 own hand by gathering it. The root of this species is long and fibrous ; and 

 tl.is buttercup is common in meadows, pastures, and mountainous situations 

 The common garden flower, with flat yellow rosettes, called Bachelor's 

 Buttons, is a variety of this upright Meadow Crowfoot. 



17. Chervil-leaved Buttercup {B. cluerophyllus). — Sepals spreading, 

 petals bright yelloAv; entire floAver an inch to an inch and a half acrof^; 

 stem erect, simple, clad with silky hairs, and bearing one f • ; base 

 swollen, producing numerous little tubers and stout root-fibres. !reni.i.al. 

 This species is I'cstricted (so far as the British flora is concern' Jersey, 

 where it flowers in May. The leaves of the young plants are rounded or 

 wedge-shaped, toothed or lobed, but those of older plants are divided into 

 three leaflets, these again being cut up into wedge-shaped and toothed lobes. 

 The seeds are rarely ripened in Jersey, and propagation is chiefly effected 

 by the separation of the little tubers, as in the case of B. ficaria. 



* * * * Floivcrs yellow ; leaves divided ; carpels rough. 



18. Pale Hairy Buttercup {B. hirsutus). — Calyx reflexed ; stem 

 upright ; many-flowered, hairy ; leaves three-lobed, or three-cleft ; lobes 

 obtuse, cut ; root fibrous. Annual. This plant is common in waste places, 

 having paler flowers than the other buttercups, and it is smaller than either 

 of them. The whole plant is of a paler green than either of the three specif 

 last named. It is in flower from June to October, and is sometimes fou 

 with double l)lossoms. 



19. Corn Crowfoot (B. arvensis). — Calyx spreading; stem erect, 

 many-flowered ; leaves three-cleft, the lobes generally again di^" 'ded into 

 three segments. Annual. This is easily known from all the other species, 

 by its large prickly carpels. The flowers are small, and pale yeiiow. It is 

 one of the most poisonous of its tribe, and is said to be very injurious to 

 cattle, if, when pressed by want, they eat it. As it is not a plant of the 

 pasture land, however, this does not often occur ; but sheep have on some 



