Genus i. 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



S5 



I. Hydrastis canadensis L. Orange-root. 

 Golden Seal. Fig. 1852. 



Hydrastis canadensis L. Syst. Ed. lo, loS 



1759- 



Perennial from a thick yellow rootstock, about 

 1° high. Basal leaf long-petioled, $'-8' broad, 

 palmately 5-9-lobed, the lobes broad, acute, 

 sharply and unequally serrate ; cauline leaves 2, 

 borne at the summit of the stem, the upper one 

 subtending the greenish-white flower, which is 

 4"-$" broad when expanded ; filaments widened, 

 about 2" long; anthers oblong, obtuse; head of 

 fruit ovoid, blunt, about 8" long, the fleshy car- 

 pels tipped with a short curved beak. 



In woods, Connecticut to Minnesota, western On- 

 tario, Georgia, Missouri and Kansas. Ascends to 

 2500 ft. in Virginia. April. Called also yellow 

 puccoon, yellow-root, turmeric-root, yellow Indian 

 paint. Indian-dye, -iceroot or -turmeric. Ohio 

 cucuma. Eye-balm or -root. Yellow eye. Ground- 

 raspberry. 



2. CALTHA [Rupp.] L. Sp. PL 558. 1753. 

 Succulent herbs, with simple entire or crenate mostly basal cordate or auriculate leaves. 

 Flowers yellow, white or pink. Sepals large, deciduous, petal-like. Petals none. Stamens 

 numerous, obovoid. Carpels numerous or few, sessile, bearing ovules in 2 rows along the 

 ventral suture, in fruit forming follicles ; stigmas nearly sessile. [Latin name of the 

 Marigold.] 



A genus of beautiful marsh plants, comprising about 15 species, distributed through the tem- 

 perate and arctic regions of both hemispheres. In addition to those here described, four or five 

 others are found on the western side of the continent. Type species : Caltlia palustris L. 

 Stems erect or ascending ; flowers yellow. 



Leaves cordate, generally with a narrow sinus; flowers H'-'^'A' wide. i. C. palustris. 



Leaves flabelliform v^ith a broad sinus; flowers 6"-9" wide. 2. C. flabellifolia. 



Stems floating or creeping ; flowers white or pink. 3. C. natans. 



I. Caltha palustris L. 



Marsh-marigold. Meadow-gowan. Fig. 1853. 



Caltha palustris L. Sp. PI. 558. 1753. 



Stout, glabrous, stem hollow, erect or ascending, 

 i°-2° high, branching and bearing several flowers. 

 Basal leaves on long and broad petioles, cordate or 

 reniform, 2'-7' wide, with a narrow sinus, entire, 

 crenate or dentate, the upper shorter-petioled or 

 sessile, with nearly truncate bases ; flowers bright 

 yellow, i'-i4' broad; sepals oval, obtuse; follicles 

 3-12 or even more, compressed, s"-6" long, slightly 

 curved outward, many-seeded. 



In swamps and meadows, Newfoundland to South 

 Carolina, west to Saskatchewan and Nebraska. Ascends 

 to 2500 ft. in Virginia. Locally called cowslip and used 

 as a spring vegetable. April-June. Old English names, 

 water-dragon, water-, mire-, horse- or may-blobs. 

 Meadow-buttercups. American or spring cowslips. 

 Capers. Cow-lily. Crowfoot. Coltsfoot. King-cup. 

 Open or water gowan. Soldiers-buttons. Palsy-wort. 

 Great bitter-flower. Meadow-bouts. Boots. Crazy-bet. 

 Gools. Bull-flower. Drunkards. Water-goggles. 



Caltha radicans Forst., which roots at the lower 

 nodes of the stem, and has somewhat smaller flowers, 

 is apparently a race of this species, mostly of high 

 boreal range. 



