EANUNCULUB 



BUTTEBCUP OBDEB 



EANUNCULUS 147 



R. aquatilis (Lodewort ; Bom's Foot). 

 A variable British Buttercup, found 

 floating in shallow streams and pools of 

 fresh water. The submerged leaves are 

 much divided into slender linear lobes, 

 while those floating on the surface of the 

 water are usually 3-lobed, or absent. The 

 beautiful pure white flowers, about ^ in. 

 across, are borne in great profusion during 

 the summer months, and look like minia- 

 ture single white Water Lilies on the 

 bosom of the waters. 



Culture and Propagation. — Seeds 

 may be sown in pots standing up to the 

 rims in water, or the roots may be divided 

 in aiitumn after flowering is over. 



R. asiaticus. — This native of S.Europe 

 and Asia has given rise to all the garden 

 Banunculuses. It grows about 9 in. high, 

 with erect stems, simple or branched at 

 the base. The leaves are ternate or bi- 

 ternate with toothed or deeply trifid 

 segments. The flowers, which appear in 

 summer, vary a good deal in colour, and 

 are nearly always double in the cultivated 

 forms, having very large obovate and very 

 obtuse petals. 



There are many varieties of the Garden 

 Ranunculus under fancy names, but the 

 following varieties or sections deserve 

 special mention : — 



R. a. sanguineus {Tv/rhey Banuncu- 

 1ms). — This variety has simple stems and 

 ternate leaves with toothed obtuse seg- 

 ments and double flowers of various 

 colours such as orange, yellow, purple, or 

 variegations of the same, excluding dis- 

 tinctly white or blue colours. 



R. a. superbus is a pretty strain 

 with large single, semi-double and double 

 flowers of brilliant colours. 



R. a. tenuilobus. — This variety has a 

 stem more or less branched and much- 

 cut leaves with sharp linear lobes, the 

 flowers being white or yeUow, rarely 

 purple. 



R. a. vulgaris (Persian Banunculus). 

 This ornamental variety has innumerable 

 seedling forms in cultivation. It ias a 

 stem branched at the base ; leaves ter- 

 nate with sharp-pointed trifid segments, 

 and double and single flowers of almost 

 every shade but blue. 



The above represent the main divi- 

 sions into which the Asiatic Banunculus 

 naturally falls. But owing to the careful 

 selection, hybridisation, and intercrossing 

 by British and Continental gardeners. 



extending over many generations, the 

 wild forms have practically disappeared, 

 and there are now an infinite number of 

 varieties cultivated, being divided into 

 groups, known as Scotch, Dutch, French, 

 Italian, Persian, and Turban or Turkish. 

 The Scotch and Dutch varieties are 

 usually the finest forms of the Persian, 

 and are dwarfer with double flowers 

 edged and spotted. The French and 

 Italian varieties are modifications of the 

 Turkish, and are remarkable for their 

 vigour and size. The Turkish forms are 

 less variegated in colour than the others 

 and have a large proportion of scarlet, 

 white, yellow and orange self-coloured 

 flowers, somewhat resembling Pseonies. 



As the names in tradesmen's cata- 

 logues represent mere variations, it is 

 unnecessary to give them here, as they 

 would probably be obsolete in a very 

 short time. It would therefore be better 

 to make an up-to-date selection from the 

 catalogues themselves. 



Culture and Propagation. — The best 

 time to plant the garden Banunculus 

 is about the end of February, although 

 the work may also be done in October in 

 favourable weather. The plants like an 

 open situation but not too much exposed 

 to summer sun, and the soil should 

 consist of loam well mixed with decayed 

 manure, rotten leaves &c., so that it may 

 always be kept in a fairly humid state. 

 The claws of the roots should be placed 

 downwards, drills about 6 in. apart and 

 2 in. deep having previously been made 

 with a hoe. The soil should be raked 

 over the roots and made firm by patting 

 with a spade. When the leaves appear, 

 a little artificial manure or mulch of 

 rotten dung may be given, the latter 

 being preferable in dry seasons. As the 

 roots deteriorate somewhat by lying 

 dormant in the damp soil, especially in 

 extra wet seasons, they should be taken 

 up as soon as the leaves and flowers have 

 withered, and stored in a cool airy place 

 until the time for planting comes round 

 again. 



Seeds are obtainable as a rule only 

 from the semi-double varieties. When 

 the flower heads have withered, they 

 should be cut off and placed in a paper 

 bag, and hung up to dry and thoroughly 

 ripen before being cleansed. The seeds 

 may be sown in August and September in 

 cold frames and in light rich sandy soil. 

 The young plants should be protected 



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