HORTUS SUBURBANUS CALCUTTENSIS. 



ORDER I.— RANUNCULACEiE, DC. Lindl. Nat. Syst. p. 5. 



TIIK CROW-FOOT TRIBE. 



This chiefly herbaceous, rarely shrubby order, abounding in species, is 

 extensively diffused throughout the cold and temperate parts of the globe. 

 Their total amount may, perhaps, be estimated at 700, of which the 

 greater part are found in Europe, Siberia, and the Levant. About SO 

 species have been discovered in N. America ; 32 in S. America ; 30 in 

 China ; 21 in Australasia ; 15 in N. Africa ; 20 in S. Africa ; 6 in Mexico ; 

 5 in the W. Indies ; and a few in Japan, Cochin China, and Sierra Leone. 

 In the tropics, they are found in mountainous regions, from the highest 

 Alpine ranges down to such vallies of hilly tracts as are sufficiently elevated 

 to compensate for low latitude ; and though a few species straggle down to 

 the plains, as, in India, Ranunculus sceleratus and aquatilis, Wight fill. 

 p. 3.J is, no doubt, right in asserting, that wherever, within the tropics, we 

 meet with herbaceous forms of Ranunculacese, we may feel assured of 

 having attained an elevation sufficient to place us beyond the influence of 

 jungle fever. In 1818, according to De CandoUe, the Indian forms of this 

 order amounted only to 19. At present their number has risen to 135 ; 

 viz. 32 species of Clematis ; 3 of Naravelia ; 18 of Thalictrum ; 16 of Ane- 

 mone ; 1 of Adonis ; 32 of Ranunculus ; 3 of Caltha ; 1 of Trollius ; 1 of 

 Coptis ; 2 of Isopyrum ; 2 of Aquilegia ; 14 of Delphinium ; 7 of Aconitum ; 

 1 of Actcea ; 1 of Cimicifuga ; and 1 of Paonia. Eight of these also belong 

 to Europe. 



" Acridity, causticity, and poison, are the general characters of this sus- 

 picious order, which, however, contains species in which these qualities are 

 so little developed as to be innoxious. The caustic principle is, according 

 to Kropfen, as cited by De CandoUe, of a very singular nature ; it is so 

 volatile that, in most cases, simple drying, infusion in water, or boiling, 

 are sufficient to dissipate it ; it is neither acid nor alkaline ; it is increased 

 by acids, sugar, honey, wine, spirit, &c. and is only effectually destroyed 

 by water and vegetable acids." (Lindl.J Notwithstanding their caustic 



