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LETTER I. 



some species, such as that called "the wicked" (Ra- 

 nunculus sceleratus), and another called " the burn- 

 ing" (R. acris), which will blister the skin if applied 

 externally to the human body, or produce dangerous 

 symptoms if taken into the stomach ; these, however, 

 are mild and harmless if compared with such as I 

 shall presently mention to you. But first of all let us 

 see in what the most essential character of the Crow- 

 foot tribe consists. 



By far the greater part of the characters which we 

 have seen that the Crowfoot possesses, will be also 

 found in other and extremely different plants; but 

 there are two characters which are what we call essen- 

 tial : that is to say, such as will distinguish it and the 

 other plants belonging to the same natural order, 

 from other natural orders resembling it. These 

 essential characters are, there being a great many 

 stamens which arise from beneath the carpels, 

 (which is what Botanists term being hypogynous, PI. 

 I. 1. Jig. 3.) ; and also several carpels which are 

 not joined together. If you will pay attention to 

 these two circumstances, you will always know a 

 Ranunculaceous plant, that is to say, a plant belong- 

 ing to the Crowfoot tribe ; and although you may 

 not remember its name, you will know, what is of far 

 more consequence, that it is, in all probability, a 

 poisonous plant, and that its stem grows by addition 

 to the outside of the woody centre, beneath the bark. 

 A few instances of other genera, belonging to the 

 same natural order, will put this in a clearer light. 

 There is a little annual, with leaves cut into divi- 



