BUTTERCUP FAMILY. 129 



nately lobed, and the stem leaves sessile or nearly so, with 

 linear lobes. The flowers are very small, the yellow petals 

 being no longer than the reflexed sepals. It has a fruit- 

 ing head like that of Ranunculus sceleratus but smaller. 



MARSH MARIGOLD Caltha palustris L. 



Other Common Names: Cowslip, Soldiers-buttons. 



As a general rule animals may be trusted to avoid the 

 Marsh Marigold on account of its acrid properties. Cases 

 have occurred, however, of poisoning among both cattle 

 and horses, sometimes with fatal results. The young 

 plants are harmless, becoming toxic about the time of 

 flowering. The symptoms resemble those produced by 

 Buttercups. When dried in hay the plant is harmless. 



Though it is an eastern species, the plant is found in 

 moist or swampy situations as far west as Saskatchewan. 

 It is a somewhat fleshy perennial with hollow, grooved 

 stems, growing in clumps with abundance of large, bright 

 yellow flowers. The sepals are coloured but no true 

 petals are present. There are numerous stamens and ten 

 pistils developing flattened seed pods. The leaves are 

 rounded, with a smooth or crenate margin. The flowers 

 are found in early spring, but may continue until June. 



Caltha asarifolia DC., Caltha leptosejmla DC., Caltha 

 biflora DC. and Caltha chelidonii Greene, are western 

 forms with similar acrid properties and grow in marshy 

 places among the mountains. The first named species has 

 yellow flowers, while the rest have white. 



