MARSH MARIGOLD 9 



cross-pollinate some stigmas, those alighting first on petals touching 

 the anther and stigmas, either causing cross- or self-pollination. The 

 flower being half-drooping may also be self-pollinated from this reason. 

 The visitors are Flies, or Diptera, Syrphidse, Syritta, Cheiiosia, Meli- 

 threptus, Muscidse, Scat op hag a, AntJwmyia\ Hymenoptera, Apidse, 

 Halictus\ Lepidoptera, Satyrus, Pamphilus. 



Spearwort is dispersed by its own agency. The achenes are aggre- 

 gate, and dispersed around the parent 

 plant. 



This handsome species is a Hydro- 

 phyte or water plant and aquatic, or a 

 Helophyte or marsh plant. 



A fungus, sEcidium ranunculaceannn, 

 forms orange-yellow groups of " cluster- 

 cups " on the leaves. 



The specific name (once a genus) 

 Lingua was bestowed by Pliny, and means 

 a tonofue, and was used in allusion to the 



o 



shape of the leaves. Possibly Pliny's plant, 

 however, was the Hart's Tongue. 



It is called also Spear Crowfoot and 

 Sparrow Weed. The Lesser Spearwort 

 was used under the name "flame" as a 

 cure for "cankers" or ulcers. It is a 

 poisonous plant, and the Lesser Spearwort 

 is of the same nature. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



6. Ranunculus Lingua, L. Stem- 

 leaves entire, subserrate, sessile, stem erect, 

 flowers large, yellow, carpels pitted, style broad with ensiform tip. 



GREAT SPEARWORT 

 {Ranunculus Lingua, L.) 



Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris, L.) 



This is an Arctic plant found in Pre-, Inter-, and Late Glacial, 

 Neolithic, and Roman deposits. It is a plant of the Cold Temperate 

 and Arctic regions, found in Arctic Europe, North and W. Asia, as 

 far as the Himalayas, and in North America. So widely distributed a 

 plant occurs in every part of Great Britain, and in Scotland grows at 

 3400 ft. in the Highlands. It is found in Ireland. 



The Marsh Marigold is hygrophilous, i.e. fond of moisture, always 

 confined to marshy tracts, where there are some lime salts in the soil. It 



