RANUNCULACE>E 267 



used as a purgative. The Rev. H. Friend, in his delight- 

 ful work on the mythology of flowers 1 , says that the name 

 Trollius comes to us from the Scandinavians, who held 

 the god Troll to be an evil spirit. The somewhat poison- 

 ous elements of this plant being granted, he is of opinion 

 that the ancient Swedes named it the "Devil-flower". It 

 is a beautiful plant and does well under cultivation, with 

 preference for somewhat cool, half-shaded positions and 

 porous soil. If, however, the natural soil is dry, plenty of 

 retentive stuff should be added. Plants should be divided in 

 autumn. Grows readily from seed, flowering in two years. 



Caltha 



"Eng.: Marsh Marigold; "Fr.: Populage; Ger.: Dottcrblume. 



Caltha palustris*. This magnificent king-cup with large, 

 expansive flowers of golden orange and hollow stems and 

 broad leaves of cheerful green, grows on the edges of 

 water in the alpine regions and sometimes descends to 

 the plains. In spring the flowers form one of the richest 

 ornaments of the mountain landscape. 



Though the alpine Caltha has received the specific de- 

 signation of alpestris, there does not appear to be any 

 botanical difference between it and the species common in 

 English meadows, so that it should perhaps not be re- 

 garded as an alpine in the true sease of the word. The 

 single English form is too common to merit cultivation; 

 the double one is, however, very fine and worthy. 



Aquilegia 



Eng.: Columbine; "Fr.: Ancolie ; Ger.: Akelei. 



A genus clearly defined by regular flowers with 10 

 divisions, 5 broadly lanceolate, coloured sepals and 5 



1 "Flowers cr "Flower "Lore, Rev. H. Friend, vol. 1. p. 5j. 



