148 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS eanunculus 



from frost during the winter months, but 

 should have as much light and air as 

 possible on all favourable occasions. About 

 the end of April or May they will be fit 

 for transplanting to the open ground. 

 Seeds may also be sown out of doors about 

 April and May, but if the seedlings are 

 left in the soil for the winter, they should 

 be protected by lights. Seedling plants 

 commence to bloom well about the third 

 or fourth year. 



Prom the old roots there are often 

 offsets. These may be placed by them- 

 selves and sown like seeds the following 

 spring. 



R. bulbosus Acre pleno (Double- 

 flowered British Buttercup). — This is a 

 very pretty form of the common bulbous 

 Buttercup of meadows and pastures. It 

 grows about 12 in. high and produces 

 numerous double yeUow flowers during 

 the summer. It is suitable for borders. 



Sometimes the flowers are singularly 

 prohfic. From the centre of one arises 

 another, and from this second one some- 

 times a third. 



CuUu/re So. the same as for B. acris 

 flore pleno. 



R. bullatus. — An interesting species 

 from N. Africa and Corsica, having tufts 

 of oval toothed and more or less wrinkled 

 leaves arising from a knotty rootstock. 

 The fragrant yellow flowers appear late in 

 the year and are therefore liable to injury 

 from frost. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is too tender for the outdoor flower 

 garden except in the warmest parts of the 

 south and west. It may, however, be 

 flowered in cold frames or greenhouses for 

 the winter. New plants are obtained by 

 dividing the rootstocks after the leaves and 

 flowers have withered. ' 



R. cardiophyllus {Heart-leaved Butter- 

 cup). — This hairy or pubescent plant is 

 a native of N. America, and grows abovit 

 12 in. high. The root-leaves are roundish 

 heart-shaped, crenate and much cut, the 

 stem-leaves being palmately cut with 

 linear deeply crenate lobes. The large 

 golden flowers appear in May. 



Culture dc. the same as for iJ. aco- 

 nitifoliun. 



R. carpaticus. — A handsome Hun- 

 garian perennial about 1 ft. high, having 

 creeping rootstocks and roundish pal- 

 mately lobed leaves with crenate mar- 

 gins. The bright golden-yellow flowers, 



which appear in May and June, are about 

 2 in. across, aAd are very attractive when 

 in masses. 



Culture dc. as for B. alpesiris. 



R. cassubicus. — A species 6 in. high, 

 native of Northern and Eastern Europe. 

 The lower leaves are stalked, smooth, 

 kidney-shaped and crenate, those of the 

 stem being divided into linear toothed 

 lobes. Flowers in June and July. 



Culture dc. the same as for B. aco- 

 nitifoliua. 



R. chxrophyllus {Chervil -leaved 

 Buttercup). — A hardy tuberous-rooted 

 species from Portugal, 8-12 in. high. 

 Leaves stalked, much-divided segments, 

 very narrow stems slightly downy. 

 Flowers bright glistening yellow, over 

 an inch across, with persistent non- 

 reflexed sepals. 



CuUu/re dc. the same as for B. aco- 

 nitifolius. 



R. cortussefolius. — This fine species is 

 a native of Teneriffe and reaches a height 

 of 3-5 ft. in the very mUdest parts of this 

 country. The leaves are very large, and 

 like the branching stems more or less 

 hairy ; the lower ones are heart or kidney - 

 shaped, lobed with coarsely crenate edges, 

 the upper ones being almost stalkless, 

 3-5-parted, those near the flowers lance- 

 shaped. The large glistening yellow 

 flowers are 2 in. or more across, and are 

 borne in erect corymbs in early summer. 



Culture dc. the same as for B. Lyalli 

 below. Except in the very mildest parts, 

 it would be safer to treat this plant as 

 tender, and give protection in winter by 

 covering the rootstock with coco-nut 

 fibre, ashes &c. 



R. crenatus. — A charming Hungarian 

 species about 6 in. high, with pure white 

 flowers which appear in June and Jvily, 

 and rather remind one of those of B. 

 alpestris. The petals, however, have 

 crenate edges, and the flowers are only 

 produced singly on the stems. 



Culture ti'c. as above for B. alpestris. 



R. creticus macrophyllus. — A native 

 of the Greek Archipelago with branched 

 slightly hairy stems and leaves, the latter 

 being very deeply cut with slightly 

 rounded teeth. The golden-yellow flowers 

 appear in May, and the plant reaches a 

 height of about 1 ft. 



Culture dc. the same as for B. Lyalli. 



