RAN 



RAN 



pendicular than liorizonlal direction, in order to 

 display the colours with better effect. The pe- 

 tals should be broad, with entire well-rounded 

 edges; their colours dark, clear, rich or bril- 

 liant, either of one colour or variously diversi- 

 fied, on an ash, white, sulphur or fire-coloured 

 ground, or else regularly striped, spotted or 

 mottled, in an elegant manner." 



The second species is very handsome, three 

 or four fieet high and branched : the stem hol- 

 low within : the leaves large, digitate, three- 

 lobed, divided to the base : segments lanceolate, 

 serrate all round, somewhat hirsute, especially 

 at the base : the flower white, terminating each 

 branch. It is a native of the Alps of Europe. 



There is a variety with double flowers, which 

 has been obtained by seeds, and is preserved in 

 many curious gardens for the beauty of its flow- 

 ers. It is by some gardeners called Fair Maid 

 of France. The root is perennial, and com- 

 posed of many strong fibres: the leaves are di- 

 vided into five lanceolate lobes : the four side- 

 lobes are upon footstalks coming from the side 

 of the principal stalk, and the middle one termi- 

 nates it ; they are deeply serrate, and have seve- 

 ral loncritudinal veins. The stalks rise a foot and 



o 



a half high, and branch out at the top into three 

 or four divisions, at each of which there is one 

 leaf, of the same shape with the lower, but 

 smaller. The flowers are pure white, and very 

 double, each standing upon a short footstalk. 

 It flowers in May. 



The third has a perennial, tuberous root, with 

 many long simple white fibres : the stem up- 

 right, about two feet high, round, hollow, hav- 

 ing close-pressed hairs on it, not very leafy, 

 much branched at top : the leaves are three- 

 parted and five-parted, many-cleft ; the seg- 

 ments black or deep purple at the points : the 

 root-leaves on long upright petioles : the stem- 

 leaves nearly sessile, less, and more finely cut : 

 the uppermost linear and sessile : sheaths of the 

 footstalks hairy. It flowers in June anj Julv. 



There is a variety with double flowers, which 

 is the sort cultivated in the garden. It is fre- 

 quent among other herbaceous perermials, un- 

 der the name of Yellow Bachelor's Buttons, 



The fourth species has a perennial root, con- 

 sisting of numerous whitish fibres: the stems 

 generally several from one root, a foot or more 

 in length, beset with rough hairs, throwing out 

 long creeping runners ; the leaves are ternate, 

 trifid and gashed, generally hairy on both sides, 

 but sometimes smooth and shining, frequently 

 marked with white (black) spots, on lony; hairy 

 petioles dilated at the base : the leaflets also are 

 on petioles, and are sometimes divided only into 

 two segments : the leaves are broad, dark, and 



distinctly divided twice: the upperni' l are quite 

 entire: the flowering-stems are erec^, branched 

 and leafy, generally supporting two flowers. It 

 flowers in June. 



There is a variety with double flowers, which 

 is the sort cultivated in the gardens. 



In the fifth the leaves in part surround the 

 stalk at their base, whence the trivial name : in 

 colour they differ from most others of the genus, 

 being of a grayer or more glaucous hue; which, 

 joined to the delicate whiteness of the flowers, 

 renders it very desirable in a collection of hardy 

 herbaceous plants, more especially as it occu- 

 pies little space, and has no tendency to injure 

 the growth of others. It is a native of the 

 Apennine and Pyrenean mountains, flowering in 

 April and May. 



Culture. — The first sort and the different va- 

 rieties may be readily increased by the ofF-sets 

 taken from the root, and new varieties may be 

 raised from the seed. 



In the first method the off-sets should be se- 

 parated from the roots in dry weather, in the 

 latter end of summer, when the flowering is 

 over, and the stems and leaves are declinin(T, 

 being placed in bags or boxes, in a dry place, 

 till the autumn, when they should be planted 

 out in rows six or eight inches apart, and six of 

 them in separate beds, prepared with light sandy 

 earthy compost, to the depth of two or three feet, 

 taking care to protect them carefully from the 

 frost during the winter. When the buds begin 

 to break through the ground they should be kept 

 perfectly clear from weeds, protecting them from 

 frosts ; and when they have flowered and the 

 stems are decayed, the root should be taken up, 

 cleared from dirt, and placed in bags or boxes 

 till the autumn, when they must be planted 

 again. 



In the second mode, the seed should be col- 

 lected from the best plants, of the semi-double 

 kinds, and be sown in flat pans or boxes, filled 

 with light rich earth, in August, covering it ia 

 about a quarter of an inch thick with the same 

 sort of earth, placing them in a shady situation, 

 so as to have a little of the morning sun. The 

 pots should remain here till the beginning of 

 October, when the ]ilants sometimes appear, 

 though it is often latL-r before this happens, when 

 they should have a more open exposure with the 

 full sun ; but when frost is apprehended, they 

 should be removed under a conmion hot-bed 

 frame, being only covered in the nights and 

 bad weather with the glasses, guarding them 

 well against rains and frost. 



In the spring following they should be exposed 

 to the open air, being very slightly refreshed 

 with water, having a situation to enjoy the 



