CLASS XIII. ORDER VI. 235 



pound, with jointed petioles ; leafets rounded, obtuse or hearted 

 at base, smooth, green above, pale underneath, ending in several 

 obtuse lobes. Flowers panicled. Corolla of four or five white 

 or greenish petals, deciduous. The barren plants contain about 

 forty stamens in each flower with white, club shaped filaments 

 and oblong yellow anthers. The fertile plants have a few sta- 

 mens of the same kind, surrounding a bunch of oval greenish 

 germs, each of which bears a white recurved stigma. Seeds 

 oval, ribbed. — June, July. 



244. COPTIS. 



CoPTis TRiFOLiA. Gold thread. 



American Medical Botany, PI. v. 



Leaves ternate ; scape one flowered. 

 Syn. Helleborus trifolius. L. 



The roots of this plant, from which the name of Gold thread 

 is taken, are perennial, and creeping. On removing the moss 

 and decayed leaves from the surface of the ground, they discover 

 themselves of a bright yellow color, running in every direction. 

 The bases of the new stems are invested with a number of yel- 

 lowish, ovate, acuminate stipules. Leaves ternate, on long, 

 slender petioles ; leafets roundish, acute at base, lobed and cre- 

 nate, the crenatures acuminate ; smooth, firm, veiny. Scape 

 slender, round, bearing one small, starry, white flower, and a 

 minute, ovate, acute bracte at some distance below. Calyx 

 none. Petals five, six or seven, oblong, concave, white. Nec- 

 taries five or six, inversely conical, hollow, yellow at the mouth. 

 Stamens numerous, white, with capillary filaments and roundish 

 anthers. Germs from five to seven, stipitate, oblong, compress- 

 ed ; styles recurved. Capsules pedicelled, umbelled, oblong, 

 compressed, beaked, with numerous black, oval seeds attached 

 to the inner side. — Woods, Brookline. — Perennial. — The root is 

 a strong bitter, used in medicine. 



245. CALTHA. 



Caltha Pauistris. L. 3Iarsh Marigold. Meadow Cowslip. 

 Stem erect ; leaves round, heart shaped. Forster. 

 Brought to market in the spring under the name of Cowslips. 



