DIDYNAMIA. 167 



GENUS Ranunculus. Crow-foot. Name, from rana, the 

 Latin name of frog, because many of the species grow in wet 

 places, inhabited by that reptile. This is a large genus of 

 acrid, bulbous, or tuberous rooted, perennial plants. We 

 have many species in our fields and meadows, one of which, 

 the Butter Cup, (Ranunculus acris,} is very common in rich, 

 moist places. It rises from one to two feet high ; leaves cut 

 into three or five principal divisions ; flowers intensely yellow, 

 and glossy, as though varnished. The root is tuberous, and 

 this as well as the other parts of the plant are highly acrid, 

 and will blister the skin. It is said that beggars sometimes 

 make use of this as a means to produce blisters, in order to 

 excite compassion. Some of the species of this genus are 

 double, and being nearly of the size of roses are highly valued 

 by florists, as commanding considerable prices. The Double 

 Orange Ranunculus, (Ranunculus Asiaticus,) is a splendid 

 yellow flower. 



The genera Anemone, Clematis, or Virgin's Bower, He- 

 patica, Hellebore, and the Hydropeltis, are all native plants, 

 and well worthy the examination of the student in botany. 

 CLASS XIV. DIDYNAMIA. Stamens 4, 2 long and 2 

 short. Orders 2. 



The name of this class comes from dis, twice, Fig '_' 

 dys, two, and nema, a filament, and is under- 

 stood to signify four stamens, two of which are 

 longer than the others, as represented by the 

 attached figure. This class with the exception 

 of Gynandria, and Syngenesia, is the most nat- 

 ural, and best defined of all the Linnaean classes. 

 It is divided into two orders, called Gymnosper- 

 mia, and Angiospermia. The first comes from 

 gymnos, naked, and sperma, a seed, and there- 

 fore means, that in this order the seeds are naked. The sec- 

 ond comes from aggeion, a vessel, and sperma, a seed, and 

 signifies that the seeds are in a vessel, that is, enclosed in a 

 pericarp. 



ORDER I. GYMNOSPERMA. Stamens 4. Seeds 4, naked. 

 This order answers to the natural tribe of Labiate plants, 

 with the exception of a few genera, which are excluded from 



What is the origin of the word Ranunculus ? What is the general 

 character of this genus ? What is the number and what the comparative 

 length of the stamens in the class Didynamia ? How many orders has 

 th class Dkiynarnia < How is the order Gymnosperrria characterized ? 



