i o Ranunculacecz A donis. 



of the northern hemisphere in the Old World. The name 

 is of classic origin. 



1. A. vernalis. A handsome herbaceous perennial, about a 

 foot high. Leaves sessile. Flowers bright yellow, about 2 

 inches in diameter. Styles hooked. March. 



2. A. cestivalis.An erect almost singled-stemmed annual, 

 with flowers about half the size of the preceding, of a deep 

 crimson, or more rarely orange, with a black spot at the base 

 of the petals. Styles straight. 



3. A. Pyrenaica. Rather taller than No. 1, with distinct 

 radical leaves on long stalks, and fewer petals. Flowers yellow. 

 Summer. 



TKIBE lll.RANUNGULE^E. 



Sepals imbricate. Carpels 1 -seeded, indehiscent ; seeds 

 ascending, raphe ventral. 



5. RANtJNCULUS. 



Annual or perennial herbs with entire or dissected leaves, 

 cauline often differing from the radical. Flowers double in 

 some cultivated varieties, usually yellow or white, in terminal 

 panicles, or sessile in the axils of the leaves. Sepals 3 to 5, 

 caducous, imbricated in the bud. Petals usually 5, glandular 

 at the base. Carpels many, with 1 erect seed. From the Latin 

 rana, a frog, in allusion to the habitat of many species. A 

 vast genus, dispersed all over the world. This genus, like 

 Anemone, has its florists', or what we might term classical 

 species, and here also there seem to have been two original 

 species, though the second is of less importance. 



1 . R. Asidticus. This was introduced into Western Europe 

 towards the end of the sixteenth century, though it had pre- 

 viously been long under cultivation in Asia. It is supposed to 

 be indigenous in Persia ; but the first were brought from Con- 

 stantinople. They were semi-double, but fertile, and thus seed 

 was obtained from which new varieties were raised. They 

 soon gained favour, and rapidly spread, especially in England 

 and Holland, where the principal varieties originated. The 

 Persian Ranunculus (fig. 8) is of smaller stature than the 

 double Anemones, with less finely-cut foliage, and more 

 spreading rose-like petals. Amongst the colours represented 

 are yellow, bright orange, crimson, rose, brown, chestnut, dark 

 purple, and pure white, with all their intermediate shades and 



