54 



THE GARDEN OF EARTH 



with hardly an exception only food that is good and 

 wholesome. But plants belonging to the Buttercup 

 Order have, in many cases, fruit that is very unwhole- 

 some and even poisonous ; and in their stems are some- 

 times found acrid and burning juices. 



We do not in the least know why wholesome fruit 



CoiT)n]oa Red loppy. lK*ough-headed [oppy. 



should go with stamens that spring from above the 

 ovary, and unwholesome fruit with stamens that spring 

 from below the ovary. We only know that so it is. 

 Many travellers with some knowledge of botany, when 

 going through a wild and strange country, have trusted 

 to such tokens as a means of telling safe from unsafe 

 fruit, and have found the plan to answer. 



The Buttercup Order, often spoken of as " The 

 Crowfoot Family," ^ contains many flowers familiar 

 1 Order, RANUNCULACE.gE. 



