RANUNCULACE^E. XXIX. (2) NIRBISIA. XXX. CIMICIFUGO. XXXI. ACT^A. 



Bishma. PL 1|. 



2 N. CODXJ'A ; stem erect ; cauline leaves numerous, pilose, 

 nervous and veiny, ovate, peltate, with many cuneated, cut, 

 lobate lobes ; lobules bluntish, with two deep incisures towards 

 the top of the leaf. If. . F. Native of Nipaul with the preced- 

 ing Caltha Codua, Hamilt. 1. c. The root of this species is 

 more poisonous than the last, and is used by the Corkhalese 

 for the same purposes. Kodoya is the name of this plant in Nipaul. 



Kodoya. PL 1|. foot. 



3 N. HAMILTO'NII, stem simple, smooth ; cauline leaves nu- 

 merous, stalked, cordate, triangular, somewhat 5 -nerved, and 

 veiny, with a few short hairs on the edges ; lobes cuneated, cut, 

 acute, quinquefariously divided ; petioles very long, stem-clasp- 

 ing, y. . F. Native of Nipaul, along with the two preceding 

 species, where it is called Nirbishi or Nirbikhi. Caltha Nirbisia, 

 Hamilt. 1. c. The root of this species is a powerful bitter, and is 

 employed by the natives of Nipaul to cure fevers. 



Hamilton's Nirbishi. PL 1| foot. 



Cult. None of the species of Nirbisia has yet been intro- 

 duced into the gardens of Europe, therefore the mode of culti- 

 vating them is unknown ; however, should they be, we would 

 recommend their being grown in small pots filled with loam and 

 peat, and treated as other alpine plants ; they may be either in- 

 creased by separating the tubers or by seeds. 



Tribe V. 



PJEONIA V CE.S:, D. C. prod. 1. p. 64. Ranunculacese Spuriae, 

 D. C. syst. 1. p. 381. Anthers bursting outwards. Perhaps a 

 distinct order. Herbs rarely shrubs. 



XXX. CIMICI'FUGO (from cimex, a bug, fugo, to drive 

 away ; indicating certain virtues the plants possess, particularly 

 C.fas'tida.} Lin. amcen. 7. p. 435. Schreb. gen. 933. Actse'a, 

 Sect. 1. Cimicifugo, D. C. syst. 1. p. 382. prod. 1. p. 64. 



LIN. SYST. Polydndria, Mono-Polygynia. Calyx of 4 deci- 

 duous sepals. Petals 4. Styles 1 to 15. Carpels dry, dehiscent, 

 many-seeded. Perennial herbs, with variously divided leaves, 

 and racemes of whitish flowers. Roots drastic and poisonous. 



1. Actee~a,sect. Cimicifugo, D. C. syst. I. p. 383. Carpels 

 from 1 to 15. 



1 C. FOZTIDA (Lin. syst. ed. 12. p. 659.) ovaries 4, almost 

 sessile, very villous ; racemes panicled ; leaves ternate or biter- 

 nate ; leaflets ovate-oblong, deeply toothed. % . H. Native of 

 the Carpathian mountains, Dauria, Eastern Siberia, and north- 

 west coast of America. Gaert. fruct. 2. p. 275. t. 140. Actae'a 

 cimicifugo, Lin. amcen. 2. p. 354. D. C. syst. 1. p. 382. Planta 

 cimicifugo, Lin. amoen. 8. p. 193. t. 4. A very fetid herb, 

 used in Siberia for driving away bugs, as tansy is by the peasants 

 of this country. 



Var. j3, simplex (Wormsk ined. ex. Fisch. in litt.) It . H. 

 Native of Kamtschatka, very common. Actse'a cimicifugo /3, 

 simplex, D. C. prod. 1. p. 64. Stem simple, undivided; racemes 

 solitary or rarely twin. Perhaps a distinct species. 



Foetid Bugwort. FL June, July. Clt. 1777. PL 2 feet. 



2 C. AMERICA 1 NA (Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 316.) ovaries 

 4 or 5, smooth, stipitate ; racemes panicled ; leaves decompound. 

 If, . H. Native of Carolina in shady woods on mountains. Ac- 

 tae'a podocarpa, D. C. syst. 1. p. 382. Del. icon. sel. 1. t. 66. 

 Habit of C. serpentaria. 



American Bugwort. Fl. Aug. Sep. Clt. 1824. PL 2 to 3 ft. 



3 C. coRDir6LiA (Pursh. fl. amer. sept. 2. p. 307. exclusive 

 of the synonyms,) ovaries from 2 to 3, sessile ; racemes panicled ; 

 leaves biternate ; leaflets 4-5-lobed, serrated, cordate at the base. 



%. H. Native of North America in shady woods, on high 

 mountains of Carolina. Actae'a cordifblia, D. C. syst. 1. p. 383. 

 Resembles C. serpentaria. Ovaries smooth. Bot. mag. 2069. 

 Heart-leaved Bugwort. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1812. PL 2 or 3 ft. 



4 C. PALMA'TA (Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 316.) ovaries from 

 12 to 15, collected into a roundish Head ; racemes dichotomously 

 panicled ; leaves palmate, with the lobes serrated at the apex. 

 If. . H. Native of North America in the beds of mountain 

 rivulets in Virginia and Carolina, also on the north-west coast. 

 Actae a palmata, D. C. syst. 1. p. 383. Hydrastis, Lam. ill. t. 

 500. Hydrastis Caroliniimus, Walt, carol. 156. ? Hydrastis Ca- 

 nadensis, Poir. suppl. 3. p. 71. Bot. mag. 1630. Herb glabrous. 



Palmate-leaved. Bugwort. FL July, Aug. Clt. 1812. PL 2 ft. 



2. Actce'-a, Sect. Macrbtys, D. C. syst. 1. p. S83.prod. 1. 

 p. 64. Carpels solitary. 



5 C. SERPENTA'RIA (Pursh. fl. amer. sept. 2. p. 372.) racemes 

 compound, very long ; leaves triternate, with serrated or rather 

 cut leaflets, if.. H. Native of North America in shady stony 

 woods, from Canada to Florida. Actae'a monogyna, Walt. car. 

 151. Actse'a racemosa, Lin. spec. 722. C. racembsa, Bart, 

 philad. 2. p. 12. Pluk. amalth. 54. t. 383. f. 3. Dill. elth. 

 79. t. 67. f. 78. Resembles Acted a spicata, but larger. Flowers 

 white. This plant is used with success by the native practitioners 

 of North America, for curing the dangerous bite of the Rattle- 

 snake. 



Black Snakeroot or Bugwort. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1732. PL 

 3 to 5 feet. 



6 C. JAPO'NICA ; spikes very long ; leaves ternate, with 5 or 

 7 lobed cordate segments. If. . H. Native of Japan. Actae'a 

 Japonica, Thunb. jap. 221. D. C. syst. 384. Leaves large. 

 Flowers sessile. 



Japan Bugwort. PL 3 feet. 



Cult. Plants of easy culture, will grow in any common gar- 

 den soil, prefer a shady moist situation. All the species are 

 easily increased by dividing the plants at the root or by seeds. 



XXXI. ACTJE'A. (OKTJ/, akte, was the Greek name of the 

 Elder, which these plants much resemble in foliage and fruit.) 

 Lin. gen. no. 644. Christophoriana, Tourn. inst. 299. t. 154. 

 ActffiX Sect. III. Christophoriana, D. C. syst. 1. p. 384. 



LIN. SYST. Polydndria, Monogynia. Calyx of 4 deciduous 

 sepals. Petals 4. Style 1. Carpels baccate indehiscent (f. 13. 

 6.) many-seeded (f. 13. e.) Perennial herbaceous plants, with 

 bi or triternate leaves, and racemes of whitish flowers. Berries 



FIG. 13. 



poisonous. 



1 A. SPICA'TA (Lin. spec/ 722.) 

 berry oblong; petals length of 

 stamens ; racemes ovate ; leaves 

 bi or triternate, with ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, serrated or cut segments, 

 terminal one trifid. If. . H. Na- 

 tive almost throughout the whole 

 of Europe. In England in bushy 

 mountainous limestone situations, 

 rare. In the north-west corner 

 of Yorkshire, as about Malham 

 Cove, Clapham, Askrigg, and the 

 base of Ingleborough hill, &c. 

 Smith, engl. bot. 918. FL dan. 

 498. Lam. illus. t. 448. f. 1. 

 Gaert. fr. 2. p. 154. t. 114. 



Flowers white, with a slight blush colour. This plant is a power- 

 ful repellent. The root is useful in some nervous cases, but must 

 be administered with caution. The berries are black and poison- 



