EANUNCULUS 



BVTTEBGUP OBDEB 



BANUNCULUS 149 



R. Ficaria (Figwort ; Lesser Celan- 

 dine ; Pilewort). — This British plant 

 would be very beautiful in gardens if it 

 were not such a rank weed. Once 

 established it is difficult to eradicate, and 

 hoeing only serves to propagate it by 

 dividing the small club-like roots. Hand- 

 picking is the surest way of ridding beds 

 and borders of it. It is easily recognised 

 by its heart-shaped bluntly angled or 

 crenate shiny green smooth leaves, radia- 

 ting on the ground from a short stem, and 

 flowering from early March till May. 



R. glacialis (Olacier Buttercup). — 

 This plant is found high up on the Alps 

 and Pyrenees near the snow Une. It is 

 3-6 in. high, with leaves usually smooth, 

 the upper ones sometimes hairy, palmately 

 3-parted or ternate with lobes deeply cut. 

 The flowers appear in summer, one to five 

 on a stem, and are white, tinged with 

 purplish-rose outside. 



Culture and Prgpagation. — Deep, 

 gritty, peaty soil and a cool, damp spot in 

 the rockery suit this plant best. B. gelidus 

 and -B. roseus are forms requiring the 

 same treatment. 



R. Gouani. — A vigorous - growing 

 Pyrenean Buttercup about 18 in. high, with 

 slightly downy 3-5-parted leaves, and 

 bright yellow flowers, about 2 in. across, 

 produced in May and June. 



Culture do. the same as for B. aco- 



R. gramineus (Orass-leaved Butter- 

 cup).— A native of S.W. Eiurope, 6-12 

 in. high, with lance-shaped linear uncut 

 leaves, arising from fascicled roots, and 

 yeUow flowers borne one to three on a 

 stem in May and June. The variety _/?ore 

 plena has double flowers. 



Culture dc. This is the same as for 

 the varieties of B. asiaticus. B. grami- 

 neus likes a sandy calcareous soil in moist 

 and semi-shady spots. "When grown in 

 large masses it looks very effective in the 

 rockery. 



R. l-ingua. {Greater Spea/nvort). — This 

 is a native of our marshes and ditches, 

 about 3 ft. high, and is suitable for the 

 margins of lakes, streams, bogs &e. The 

 leaves are staMess, lance-shaped, entire 

 or toothed, 6-10 in. long, with parallel and 

 reticulated veins. The handsome flowerg 

 about 2 in. across are borne in panicles 

 from July to September, and are bright 

 yellow in colour. 



Culture dc, the same as for B. aco- 

 nitifolius. Besides seeds and division, 

 plants may also be raised from the bulbils 

 which often form in the axils of the older 

 leaves. 



R. Lyalli (Neiu Zealand Water Lily ; 

 Bockwood Lily). — A very handsome 

 species 2—4 ft. high, from New Zealand. 

 Leaves peltate, smooth, on long stout 

 stalks, the blade being roundish, concave, 

 thick, and leathery, and sometimes more 

 than 12 in. in diameter. The waxy white 

 flowers appear in spring and are 4 in. 

 across, the petals being broadly wedge- 

 shaped, 



Culture and Propagation. — B. Lyalli 

 caimot be considered perfectly hardy, 

 except in the mildest parts of the country. 

 It should have a sheltered nook from the 

 north and east winds, and deep peaty soU, 

 and is best left alone where it is already 

 doing well. It can be raised from seeds, 

 provided they can be imported in good 

 condition. They are best sown as sooij as 

 ripe, or when received, in light rich soil 

 under glass. When the young plants can 

 be easUy handled they may be pricked 

 out so as to give more room for growth. 

 Afterwards, when they require still more 

 space, they may be potted up singly and 

 kept in cold frames until they have become 

 sufficiently strong and well-established to 

 warrant their removal to the open border 

 or rockery, On the whole this is a diffi- 

 cult Buttercup to grow well. It is 

 probably ' coddled ' too much. 



R. millefoliatus. — A plant about 1 ft. 

 high, with stems almost leafless, erect, 

 hairy, and single-flowered, native of S. 

 Europe. Leaves very much cut up into 

 slender linear segments. The solitary 

 yellow flowers appear from May to July. 



Culture dc. the same as for B. aco- 

 nitifolius or JB. a/mplexicaulis. 



R. monspeliacus. — A handsome plant 

 12-18 in. high, native of S. Europe. 

 Leaves woolly, the lower ones 3-lobed, the 

 lobes wedge-shaped, trifidly toothed ; the 

 upper ones 3-parted with entire linear 

 lobes. Flowers bright glistening yellow, 

 more than an inch across, appearing in 

 April and May. 



Culture dc. as for B. aoonitif alius. 



R. montanus (Movmtain Buttercup). 

 A dwarf plant 3-6 in. high from the alpine 

 pastures ofthe mountain ranges of Europe. 

 Leaves smooth, the lower ones roundish 



