CROWFOOT FAMILY. 39 



10. ACTiSA, BANEBERRY. (The old Greek name of the Elder, from 

 some likeness in the leaves.) IJ. Fl. in spring, ripening the berries late in 

 summer : growing in rich woods. Leaflets of the thrice-ternate leaves ovate, 

 sharply cleft, and cut-toothed. 

 A. spic&ta, var. rilbra, Red Banebekry. Flowers in a very short 



ovate raceme or cluster, on slender pedicels ; berries red. 

 A. ^Iba, White Banebekry. Taller than the other, smoother, and 



flowering a, week or two later, with an oblong raceme; pedicels in fruit very 



thick, turning red, the berries white. 



U. CIMICIPTTGA, BUGBANE. (Latin name, meaning to drive away 

 hugs.) 1|. Like Banebcrry, but tall, with very long racemes (l°-3°), and 

 dry pods instead of berries ; fl. in summer. 



C. racem6sa. Tall B. or Black Snakekoot. Stem with the long 

 raceme 4° - 8° high ; pistil mostly single, with a flat-topped stigma ; short pod 

 holding 2 rows of horizontally flattened seeds. Rich woods. 



C. Americana, American B. More slender, only 2° - 4° high ; pis- 

 tils 5, with slender style and minute stigma ; pods raised from the receptacle 

 on slender stalks, flattish, containing few scaly-coated seeds. AUeghanies from 

 Penn. S. ; fl. late summer. 



12. CALTHA, MARSH-MARIGOLD. (Old name, from a word mean- 

 ing goblet, of no obvious application.) IJ. One common species, — 



C paMstris, Maksh-Makigold, vn-ongly called Cowslips in the 

 country. Stem l°-2° high, bearing one or more rounded or somewhat kid- 

 ney-shaped entire or crenate leaves, and a few flowers with showy yellow calyx, 

 about l\' across ; followed by a cluster of many-seeded pods. Marshes, in 

 spring ; young plaut boiled for " greens." 



13. TROLLIUS, GLOBE-ELOWBR. (Name of obscure meaning.) 

 Elower large, like that of Caltha, but sepals not spreading except in our 

 ivild species ; a row of small nectary-like petals around the stamens, and the 

 leaves deeply palmately cleft or parted. IJ. Fl. spring. 



T. ld;XUS, Wild G. Sepals only 5 or 6, spreading wide open, yellowish 

 or dull greenish-white ; petals very small, seeming like abortive stamens. 

 Swamps, N. &, W. 



T. Europeeus, Tkde or Ehrop^an G. Sepals bright yellow (10-20) 

 broad and converging into a kind of globe, the flower appearing as if semi- 

 double. Cult, from Eu. 



T. Asi^ticus, Asiatic G. Like the last, but flower rather more open 

 and deep orange yellow. Cult, from Siberia. 



14. COPTIS, GOLDTHREAD. (From Greek word to cut, from the 

 divided leaves.) 1|. The only common species is, — 



C. trifdlia, Three-leaved G. A delicate little plant, in bogs and damp 

 cold woods N., sending up early in spring single white flowers (smaller than 

 those of Wood Anemony) on slender scapes, followed by slender-stalked leaves 

 of three wedge-shaped leaflets ; these become bright-shining in summer, and last 

 over winter. The roots or underground shoots are of long and slender yellow 

 fibres, used as a popular medicine. 



15. HELLifeBOBUS, HELLEBORE. (Old Greek name, alludes to the 

 poisonous properties. ) U European plants, with pedate leaves and pretty 

 large flowers, in early spring. 



H. vlridis, Green H.. has stems near 1° high, bearing 1 or 2 leaves and 

 2 or 3 pale yellowish-green flowers : run wild in a few places E. 



H. nlger, Black H., the flower called Christmas Rose (because flow- 

 ering in warmer parts of England in winter), has single large flowers (2' -3' 

 across, white, turning pinkish, then green), on scapes shorter than the shining 

 evergreen leaves, in eaniiest spring. Rare in gardens. 



