1 2 Ranunculaceee Ranunculus. 



3. R. aconitifolius, syn. R. platanifolius. The double 

 variety of this species is the only one in general cultivation 

 under the name of White Batchelor's Buttons. It is a hand- 

 some herbaceous plant, about 2 feet high, with beautiful 5-lobed 

 leaves, and terminal panicles of pure white flowers. This is the 

 plant called in some districts ' Fair Maids of France.' It is a 

 native of Central Europe, flowering towards the end of Spring. 



4. R. dcris. Crowfoot. The single-flowered plant is one of 

 our commonest Buttercups, growing about 2 feet high, with 

 spreading branches and bright yellow flowers. The leaves are 

 deeply 5- to 7-partite. It is the only tall branching perennial 

 native species with lobed leaves we have, and may be seen by 

 almost every road-side. The double variety, Yellow Batche- 

 lor's Buttons, is seldom seen now. 



5. R. bulbosus, flore plena. Like the last this is a common 

 native plant, especially in the South of England. This rarely 

 exceeds a foot in height, and has an erect usually unbranched 

 stem and ternately divided leaves. The base of the stem is 

 enlarged, hence the name. The flowers are rather larger in 

 this, but fewer in number. 



6. R. Lingua. Spearwort. One of our handsomest native 

 species inhabiting marshy districts. Stem branched, from 2 

 to 3 feet high, with sessile lanceolate entire or slightly-toothed 

 stem-clasping leaves and bright yellow flowers 2 inches in dia- 

 meter. 



7. R. aqudtilis. Water Buttercup. This familiar early- 

 flowering aquatic plant, with floating stems, more or less 

 divided leaves, and pure white flowers, needs little description. 

 There are very many varieties, all of them pretty. 



8. R. Ficaria, Pilewort or Buttercup, is the common native 

 Spring-flowering species with radical cordate shining leaves 

 and bright glittering yellow flowers on short stalks scarcely 

 exceeding the leaves. 



TRIBE IV. HELLEBORES. 



Sepals imbricate. Petals small, or deformed, or none. Car- 

 pels many-seeded. 



6. CALTHA. 



Marsh or semi-aquatic herbs with fleshy creeping rootstocks. 

 Leaves petiolate, cordate, glabrous. Flowers few, terminal, 

 yellow. Sepals 5 or more, petaloid. Petals none. Carpels 

 several, many-seeded. Name from. /cd\aOos, a cup. 



