RANUNCULACE.E. 



Meadows and pastures. Introduced from Europe. May — August. Per. Stem 

 9 to 15 inches high, hollow, thickened at the hase into a sort of bulb. Leaves ap- 

 pearing as if pinnate. Petals deep yellow and shining, 5 to 7 cuneate-obOTate, some- 

 times obcordate. Flowers more than an inch broad. 



13. R. acris, L. Buttercups Crowfoot. 



Hairy; stem erect; leaves 3 to 5 parted ; the divisions all sessile and 3-cleft or 

 parted : their segments cut into linear or lanceolate crowded lobes ; peduncles terete, 

 not furrowed; eohjx spreading, hairy; petals ohcn&ie, not longer than the spread- 

 ing calyx ; carpels roundish, smooth, compi'essed, terminated by a short, recurved 

 beak. 



Meadows and pastures : common. Introduced from Europe. June — Aug. Per. 

 St'-m 1 to 2 feet high, round, hollow, mostly hairy. Leaves 1 to 3 inches in diame- 

 ter. Floicers large, golflen yellow, shining; becoming double by cultivation. Gar- 

 den Buttercups. 



6. HYDRASTIS. Linn. Yellow Root. 



Gr. hudor, water; from its growing in moist places. 



Sepals 3, ovate, petaloid, caducous. Petals none. 

 Stamens and ovaries numerous. Carpels berry-like, nu- 

 merous, aggregated in a globose head, terminated by the 

 style, 1 — 2 seeded. — A low perennial herb, sending up in 

 early spring, from a thick and knotted yellow root-stalk, a 

 single radical leaf, and a simple hairy stem which is 2-leaved 

 near the summit, and terminated by a single greenish-white 

 flower. 



1. H. Canadensis, L. Yellow Puccoon, Golden-seal. 



Leaves rounded, 2 to 6 inches wide, palmately 3 to 5 lobed ; lobes acute, doubly 

 serrate. 



Rocks, woods, northern sides of hills; rare. May. Chester Co., Pari. Lancaster 

 Co. Abundant along the Alleghenies. Flcicer solitary, on a peduncle about 1 inch 

 long. Sepals fleshy, pale rose color. Fruit fleshy purplish, about the size of a large 

 raspberry. The root affords a juice of a fine yellow color, used by the Indians for 

 staining skins and clothing. 



7. CALTHA. Linn. Marsh Marigold. 



Gr. kalathos, a basket: in allusion to the form of the flower. 



Calyx colored, with 5 — 10 roundish sepals, resembling 

 petals. Petals none. Stamens numerous, shorter than 

 the sepals. Pistils 5 — 10 with no style. Follicles com- 

 pressed, spreading, many seeded. — Smooth perennials with 

 round and heart-shaped, or kidney-form, large leaves, and 

 showy yellow flowers. 



1 C. palustris, L. Marsh Marrigold, Golden Cowslip. 



Stem hollow, furrowed ; leaves cordate, round, or kidney-shaped, crenate ; flowers 

 large, pedunculate; sepals broad oval. 

 Swamps and wet meadows ; common, April and May. A beautiful plant with 



