FLOWERING PLANTS OF THE GREEN LANES. 225 



But the diffictilty is to know which to select in 

 the short space we can devote to their consideration. 

 The pretty Daisy "vermeil-tipped and white," abounds 

 everywhere, and with its English look cheers the 

 heart of many a far-off emigrant with its recollection. 

 The grassy margins of the lanes are relieved by its 

 pure white and yellow disks, and, over the hedge, the 

 neighbouring meadows are a perfect sheet of white 

 and yellow, owing to the abundance of this plant 

 and the buttercups. The first-comer of the genus 

 Ranunculus is the little Pile-wort (R.ficaria), whose 

 star-shaped, shiny yellow blossoms, and glossy dark 

 green leaves, tell us of the approaching summer. It 

 is on these leaves that the microscopic botanist finds 

 one of the most beautiful of diminutive fungi, in the 

 dusty yellow " cluster-cups " which parasitically 

 affect the plant. Succeeding the pile-wort, and 

 taking its place in the meadows and in the green 

 lanes, is the Bulbous Crowfoot (Ranunculus bulbosus). 

 Notwithstanding the resemblance of one species of 

 buttercup to another, you will have no difficulty in 

 identifying this species, for the sepals of the calyx 

 are always turned right back ; and if this is not a 

 sufficient guide, dig up a plant, and you will find a 

 fleshy bulb-like swelling at the base of the stem which 

 gives to the flower its specific name. By-and-by, as 

 the summer advances, the study of the Ranunculacete 

 will afford the young student some busy work. He 

 will find species growing on the margins of tarns or 

 pools with lance-shaped leaves and yellow flowers 



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