CALTHA. 
C. leptosepala. See C. rotundifolia. - 
C. natans is a pretty delicate North-American species, which floats 
upon the surface of shallow ponds, with little flowers of pinky-white. 
C. Novae Zelandiae grows in the same sods with Ranunculus 
Lyallii, and often arrives unexpectedly in the masses of its neighbour, 
and in better condition. It is a small delightful plant, in growth at 
present as light as a Ficaria, with heart-shaped glossy leaves very 
deeply lobed and with the lobes turned up against the stems, on stalks 
of 6 inches or so. The blossoms are borne each by itself; they are 
about an inch and a half across, pale yellow, and sweetly scented. It 
should have a choice cool place, being a dainty neat thing of tuberous 
habit. 
C. polypetala is by far the best, despite the absurdity of this 
ignorant name for a race that has no petals at all, but only those 
gleaming golden sepals that take their place. C. polypetala is a vast 
ramping Aquatic, preferring to grow in shallow water, across which 
it sends its flopping branches to root again, while the main tuft is 
tossing high its sprays of enormous blossoms that leave poor C. 
palustris utterly eclipsed. None the less, it is a ramper that can 
soon become a weed; and modest gardens will always have place 
for C. palustris (which, when all is said and done, has bigger flowers in 
proportion, afid of a more brilliant golden flame, especially in the 
variety called Tyerman’s, which is much neater than the type in its 
tuft, and with larger blooms in an even brighter colour). C. polypetala 
comes from the Alps of Armenia, Pontus, North Persia, &c.; there is a 
romantic legend that it was for long only known in Europe in the ponds 
of the Vatican, whence the old Pope refused to let it go forth from that 
sacred seclusion into an heretic though horticultural world ; but that 
one day some hero adventured thither on the high quest, enshrouded 
in a bevy of aunts, whom he discharged upon the custodians to hold 
them in talk, while he himself hookéd out some fragments of the 
Caltha with his umbrella. However this may be (and tales of heroism 
are too rare to die, their essential truth being found in their quality 
rather than in any cold historic accuracy they may happen to possess) 
—the Caltha is a noble plant, well worthy of a papal pool, but by no 
means distinguishing between the waters of truth and those of ae 
humbler and heretical horticulturist. 
C. rotundifolia (C. leptosepala) is a North-American species, also 
for a cool place, rather wet. It makes a tidy tuft of upspringing 
dark foliage, amid which in summer appear the flowers, like bluish- 
white celandines, each borne on a single stem. 
C. sagittata carpets the wide moors of the Falklands, forming 
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