Vox,. II.] 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



reniform, 5 / -8 / broad, palmately s-g-lobed, the lobes broad, acute, sharply and unequally 

 serrate; cauline leaves 2, borne at the summit of the stem, the upper one subtending the 

 greenish-white flower, which is 4 // -5 // broad when expanded; filaments widened, about 

 2." long; anthers oblong, obtuse; head of fruit ovoid, blunt, about 8 X/ long, the fleshy car- 

 pels tipped with a short curved beak. 



In woods, southern New York to Minnesota and western Ontario, south to Georgia and Mis- 

 souri. Ascends to 2500 ft. in Virginia. April. Called also Yellow Puccoon, Yellow-root, Turmeric- 

 root, Yellow Indian Paint. 



2. CALTHA L. Sp. PI. 558. 1753. 



Succulent herbs, with simple entire or crenate mostly basal cordate or auriculate leaves. 

 Flowers yellow, white or pink. Sepals large, deciduous, petal-like. Petals none. Stamens 

 numerous, obovoid. Carpels numerous or few, sessile, bearing ovules in 2 rows along the 

 ventral suture, in fruit forming follicles. [Latin name of the Marigold.] 



A genus of beautiful marsh plants, comprising about 10 species, distributed through the tem- 

 perate and arctic regions of both hemispheres. In addition to those here described, three others 

 are found on the western side of the continent. 



Stems erect or ascending; flowers yellow. 



Leaves cordate, generally with a narrow sinus; flowers I'-i J' wide. i. C. palusiris. 



Leaves flabelliform with a broad sinus; flowers 6" -9" wide. 2. C. flabellifolia. 



Stems floating or creeping; flowers white or pink. 3. C. natans. 



i. Caltha palustris L. Marsh-mari- 

 gold. Meadow-gowan. (Fig. 1545.) 



Caltha palustris L. Sp. PI. 558. 1753. 



Stout, glabrous, stem hollow, erect or ascend- 

 ing, i-2 high, branching and bearing several 

 flowers. Basal leaves on long and broad peti- 

 oles, cordate or reniform, 2 / ~7 / wide, with a nar- 

 row sinus, entire, crenate or dentate, the upper 

 shorter-petioled or sessile, with nearly truncate 

 bases; flowers bright yellow, I'-i^' broad; se- 

 pals oval, obtuse; follicles 3-12 or even more, 

 compressed, 5 // -6 // long, slightly curved out- 

 ward, many-seeded. 



In swamps and meadows, Newfoundland to South 

 Carolina, west through British America to the Rocky 

 Mountains and to Iowa. Ascends to 2500 ft. in Vir- 

 ginia. Locally called Cowslip and used as a spring 

 vegetable. April-June. Old English names, Water 

 Dragon, Water- or Horse-blob, May-blob. 



2. Caltha flabellifolia Pursh. Mountain 



Marsh-marigold. (Fig. 1546.) 

 Caltha flabellifolia Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 390. 1814. 



Caltha palustris var. flabellifolia T. & G. Fl. N. A. 

 1:27. 1838. 



Weak, slender, reclining or ascending, i-i^ 

 long, glabrous. Basal leaves 2 / -4 / broad, long- 

 petioled, flabelliform or reniform, with a wide 

 open sinus; the upper sessile or short-petioled, 

 similar or with truncate bases, all crenate or den- 

 tate; flowers yellow, 6 // -9 // wide, solitary or 2-3 

 together; sepals oval; achenes 4-10, about \ ff 

 long, compressed. 



In cold shaded mountain springs, Pocono plateau 

 of Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey to Mary- 

 land. Strikingly different from the former in habit 

 and appearance. June-July. 



