first time, on a common near London, that he fell on his 

 knees, enraptured at the sight. He conveyed some of the 

 plants to Sweden; and he complains in Hort. Upsal, 212, 

 that he could never preserve it in his garden, through the 

 winter. 



Of the furze, the common yellow and the white, are 

 ranked under the head of evergreens- 

 Here the furze 



Enriched among its spines, with golden flowers, 

 Scents the keen air. Charlotte Smith. 



The gorse is yellow on the heath, 



The banks with speedwell flowers are gay. Same. 



The purple heath, and golden broom, 



Which scent the passing gale. Montgomery. 



BUTTER CUP. 



Ranunculus. Jlcris. 



Ranunculus, derived from Rana, and means a little 

 frog. It is possible that the divisions of the leaves may have 

 suggested the idea of a frog's foot, which supposition is con- 

 firmed by the English name Crow-foot. 



It is an extensive and varied herbaceous genus: the seed, 

 in no instance, ever producing two flowers alike, or one si- 

 milar to the parent plant. The prevailing colour of the flower 

 is yellow; yet it embraces all colours, from black down to 

 white: blue is one of its most rare colours. 



The plants of Ranunculus have a caustic and burning 

 quality, injurious to men and cattle; particularly sheep: and 

 it was with one kind of Ranunculus that the ancients poison- 

 ed their arrows. 



The essential mark of this genus, consists, according to 

 Linnaeus, in the nectary; the rest of the parts being uncer- 

 tain. The nectary, in some species, is a naked pore; in some, 

 it is bordered with a cylindrical margin ; in others, closed with 

 a notched scale. 



Its general character is that of a perianth, of five ovate, 

 concave, somewhat coloured, deciduous leaves: corolla of five 

 petals, obtuse, polished: with small claws: nectary a cavity 

 in each petal, just above the claw. 



The Ranunculus Acris, Butter-cup, or King-cup, is a 

 native of meadows and pastures, flowering from May to 

 August. Called Butter-cup, from blooming at the season 

 when the best butter is made. The double-flowered variety is 

 frequent in gardens. 



And fairies now, no doubt, unseen, 



In silent revels sup; 

 With dew-drop bumpers toast their queen, 



From crow-flower's golden cup. Clare. 



Let weeds, instead of butter-flowers, appear, 



And meads, instead of daisies, hemlock wear. Gay. 



Bright flowing king-cups promise future wealth. 



Garland of Flora. 



CALLA ^THIOPICA. 

 Arum JEthi&picum. 



Jlrum, supposed to be derived from a Greek word *, 

 signifying injury. I suppose from the acrimonious quality of 

 the root, which, if cut in slices, and applied to the skin, will 

 blister the part. 



The *#. Maculatum, or common Arum, is the only spe- 

 cies indigenous in Britain, and is used medicinally. Its me- 

 dicinal efficacy resides wholly in the active volatile matter, 

 which is completely dissipated by drying, or the application 

 of heat, so as to leave the root a bland farinaceous aliment. 



There is a species, JLrum Virginicum, Virginian Arum, 

 which grows wild in wet places in Virginia, Carolina and 

 Pennsylvania, &tc., of which the savages are said to be very 

 fond. They boil the spadix, with the berries, and devour it 

 as a great dainty. There are several species of the Arum in- 

 digenous in America. 



Calla, is derived, according to some authors, from the 

 Greek XA.\OS, beauty. According to Professor Martyn, from 

 x\x.iov, Gr., the wattles of a cock. 



The Calla Ethiopica Ethiopian Calla, Cuckoo-pint, 

 Wake- robin, Dragon-plant, Friar's-cowl, Eve's-apron, all 

 English names applied to it, is a species of Jlrum a native 

 of the cape of Good Hope. The flower is beautiful. Its 

 alabaster white calyx expands into so elegant a vase-like shape, 

 that Flora seems to have intended it for the hand of Hebe, 

 when she presents the imperial nectar to Jove. This vegeta- 

 ble cup also pours out an. agreeable perfume from its graceful 

 and beautiful horn. Its appearance, in a group of plants, re- 

 minds us of a beautiful antique lamp for burning incense; 

 which illusion the flame-coloured spadix, arising out of the 

 centre of the white calix, considerably increases. It has ar- 

 row-shaped leaves, clustering from the root, eight or nine 

 inches long, of a shining green, ending in a point, which turns 

 backwards on petioles more than a foot long, furrowed, and 

 sheathing at their base. The white spathe, a little fleshy, 

 twisted at the bottom, but spread open at the top, suddenly 

 contracting, and ending in a point. The spadix yellowish, 

 cylindrical, about half the length of the spathe. Stamens 

 above, pistils below, set so closely together, that they are 

 not easily distinguished. The seeds are roundish, dark- 

 brown and smooth. 



CALYCANTHUS FLORIDUS. 

 Carolina Jlllspice; or 

 Sweet-scented Shrub. 



Calycanthus, from the Greek x*\ u s, calyx; and vdo;, 

 a flower. So called, because the calyx resembles a corolla. 

 Linnaeus gives the flower no corolla, but a calyx with many 

 divisions in two concentric ranks, all resembling petals. 



Jussieu observed, that the inner rank probably consists 

 of petals. A shrub three or four feet high: stem irregularly 

 branched; covered with a brown aromatic bark. Leaves 

 opposite, egg-shaped: flowers of a dusky purple; the petals 

 incurved at the top. A native of Carolina. The seeds are 

 thought to be poisonous to dogs and foxes. 



CAMELLIA JAPONICA. 



Japan Rose. 

 Camellia, so named in honour of Geo. Joseph Kamel, a 



