94 COLONSAY 



one marking a year's growth. By counting these circles the 

 age of the tree can be ascertained, and they even indicate 

 the nature of the seasons, whether favourable for growth 

 or not, through which the tree lived. The leaves of 

 Monocotyledons are parallel-veined, and the parts of their 

 flowers arranged in threes; in the stem there is neither a 

 pith in the centre nor a separable bark outside, and they 

 show no annual rings. The embryo has only one seed-leaf ; 

 in Dicotyledons there are two a fundamental distinction. 

 Dicotyledons are further divided into sub-classes, which is 

 beyond the scope of this work to discuss. 



RANUNCULACEJE (the Ranunculus family) 



With the exception of the Traveller's Joy, all the 

 British species of the order are herbs. They usually 

 have an acrid or, in some cases, a very poisonous juice, 

 as in the Monkshood (Fuath Mhadaidh, C.), the roots 

 of which have been mistaken for Horse-radish with fatal 

 results. The Hellebore (Elebor, C.) is said to have been 

 used by the ancient Britons for poisoning their arrows. 

 In early summer, such plants of the family as Pseony 

 (Lus a' Phione, C.), Columbine (Lus a' Chalmain), and 

 Larkspur (Sala Fuiseoige, I.) add much to the beauty of 

 gardens. In the depth of winter, the chaste white blossoms 

 of the Christmas Rose unfold. The Wood Anemone (Nead 

 Coille, I.) is recorded from neighbouring islands. 



Thalictrum, L. 



Perennials, easily recognised by their elegant, maidenhair- 

 fern-like foliage. 



T. dunense, Dum. Meadow Rue. Balaromin-mor, shore 

 rocks. August. 



T. minus, a collinum (Wallr.). Lesser Meadow Rue. 



