CROWFOOT, • 227 



about two feet. The radical leaves are petiolate, hairy, 

 palmated, angular, divided into three or five lobes which are 

 variously subdivided, incised, toothed, acute, and often marked 

 with a brown spot in the centre ; the cauline leaves are similary 

 but less deeply divided ; the uppermost are divided into three 

 straight linear segments, or simple and linear. The flowers 

 are terminal, and stand on long hairy peduncles, which are 

 cylindrical, but not furrowed. The calyx consists of five 

 greenish-yellow, ovate, concave, spreading, somewhat villous 

 sepals. The five petals are of a bright, glistening yellow 

 colour, obtuse, generally notched at the summit, and having 

 at the base a small nectary or pore covered by a scale. The 

 stamens are very numerous, inserted upon the receptacle, with, 

 short filaments, and oblong, inclining, yellow anthers. The 

 germens are numerous, each terminated by a very short, simple 

 style, and a small stigma. The fruit consists of several smooth^ 

 lenticular, one-celled pericarps, (or carpels) collected into a 

 head, and each tipped with a small mucro or point. Plate 14^ 

 fig. 4, (a) the calyx, stamens and pistils; (6) petal; (c) peri- 

 carp magnified ; (d) seed magnified. 



This well known plant bespangles our meadows and pas- 

 tures with its golden-yellow blossoms, immediately succeed- 

 ing the pure white of the Cuckoo-flower, from the end of 

 May throughout July. It is very common in almost every 

 region except those beneath the tropics. Linnaeus in his Lap- 

 land tour informs us, that when the plant is in flower, the fi-elds 

 of Westrobothnia are clothed with it as with a yellow mantle. 



The generic name is derived from rana, a frog, because 

 many of the species delight in damp situations where frogs 

 abound ; hence also the French provincial name, Grenouillette. 

 This species is, in rustic phraseology, ranked with the Bulbous 

 Crowfoot, {Ranunculus bulbosus,) and the Creeping Crowfoot, 

 {Ranunculus repens,) under the several names of Butter-flower*, 

 Butter-cups, King-cups, and Gold-cups. They are the " cuc- 

 koo-buds of yellow hue" in Shakspeare's immortal verse, and 

 are probably referred to rather than the plant now called 

 Cuckoo-flower, {Cardamine pratensis,) when we read, 



* " Let weeds instead of butter -flowers appear. 



And meads instead of daisies, hemlock bear." — Gay. 



