CELANDINE. 79 



should stand in the open air, and they require watering 

 only in very dry weather : the last-mentioned species loves 

 the shade. 



The Small Celandine, or Pilewort, is not usually ad- 

 mitted into gardens ; but, on the contrary, on account of 

 the injury it does to every thing growing near it, is care- 

 fully rooted out wherever it appears. It is a species of 

 ranunculus, called the ranunculus ficaria, from the shape 

 of the root, which resembles that of the fig ; and belongs 

 to the natural family of the Ranunculaceae. 



In early spring, there is scarcely a grove, thicket, mea- 

 dow, hedge, orchard, or plantation of any kind, that is not 

 covered with the glossy golden flowers of the Small Celan- 

 dine. When they have been exposed for some days to 

 the heat of the sun, they turn white, and fall off: they are 

 succeeded by small bulbs, like grains of wheat, which 

 shoot from the bosom of the leaves ; and as the stalks lie 

 upon the ground, these little bulbs get into the earth, 

 and become the roots of new plants. The stalks being 

 sometimes washed bare by the rains, have induced the 

 ignorant and superstitious to believe that it rained wheat. 

 The young leaves are eaten by the common people of 

 Sweden, boiled as greens. 



At night, and in wet weather, the flowers close, which 

 helps to preserve them from the cold that otherwise might 

 be hurtful to them, from their flowering so early in the 

 spring. They first appear in February, and continue 

 through March, and a great part of April. It seems, the 

 early flowering of this plant has helped to recommend it 

 to the notice of Mr. Wordsworth, by whom it has been 

 highly and repeatedly celebrated : 



" Pansies, lilies, kingcups, daisies,, 

 Let them live upon their praises ; 



