COWSLIP 



COWSLIP. MARSH MARIGOLD. CALTHA. 



Cdltha paliistris. 

 Caltha, an ancient name of the marigold. 



A stout succulent herb, with hollow stems and glossy yellow flowers; 

 found in marshy ground and along slow-flowing streams; from New- 

 foundland to South Carolina and west as far as Nebraska. April, May. 



Slem. — One to two feet high, furrowed, hollow. 



Basal Leaves. — On long, broad petioles, cordate or reniform, entire 

 or crenate. 



Flowers. — Golden-yellow, shining, two and a half inches across, borne 

 in loose terminal clusters. 



Sepals. — Five to nine, petal-like, imbricated in bud. 



Petals. — None. 



Stamens. — Many, filaments and anthers bright-yellow. 



Pistils. — Five to ten, in a head, ripening into many-seeded pods. 



And the marsh marigold shines like fire in fields and copses gray. 



— Tennyson. 



Caltha palustris is not a Marigold and still less is it a Cowslip, 

 but both narties designate it. The Indian name, Onondaga, "it 

 blooms in the swamps," is best of all, if we could only make up 

 our minds to use it. The English species has the pretty name 

 Kingcup, but though celebrated in English verse, this seems never 

 to have come over-seas to us. 



In the Marsh Marigold we find sepals of the glossy brilliant 

 yellow which usually distinguishes buttercups; the true petals 

 have disappeared. The brilliant blossoms in early spring follow 

 the line of the watercourses or adorn the swamps with flecks of 

 flame. 



The genus, Caltha, is of northern habitat and numbers about ten 

 species, of which seven are native to North America; of these 

 seven, two encircle the globe. 



Transferred to the garden our wild Caltha will do well if given 

 a moist location, and like all the Ranunculacem will double if de- 

 sired. In late summer the leaves become very large. 



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