ORDER I. RANUNCULACEJE. 203 



serrated. Involucre 3-leaved near the middle of the scape ; leaflets 3- 

 eleft, Bessile. Sepals 1 *> — 20 ; the exterior oblong, oval, thick, and 

 sprinkled with purple specks; the inner thin, petal-like, and sometimes 



almost linear. Carpels in an oblong cylindrical head, covered with a 

 silky down. — "White. T j . March. Geo. and Car. 



•1. A. m;moro'sa, (L.) Stem o" — 12 inches high Leave* ternate; leaf- 

 lets lobod, toothed, acute, 1 -flowered. Corolla 5 or o-petaled. Seeds 

 ovate, with a short, hooked point. 6 — 17 in. — White, tinged with 

 purple. March. Geo. and Car. Wood Anemone. 



3. A. Vibgdiia'na, (L.) Stem 2 — 3 feet high, simple, pubescent. 

 Leaves ternate, rugose, hairy. Segments 3-cIeft, acuminate, serrate. 

 Involucre similar, petiolate. Sepals 5, pubescent on the outer surface, 

 coriaceous; the 2 exterior green, lanceolate, acute; the interior ellipti- 

 cal. Carpels in an oblong ovate capitulum, woolly. Peduncles 1-flow- 

 erod, 3 — 4 from each involucrum. — Yellowish green. T - . Car. and 

 Geo. July to August. 18 inches. Wind-flower. Thimble-weed. 



Many beautiful foreign species of this prenus are cultivated, which are very showy, 

 varying in color through the series from blue to red : but of our own species do care 

 has been taken for their improvement by cultivation, which would richly repay the 

 florists care. 



Genus IIL—HEPAT'ICA. Dill. 12—12. (Liver-leaf.) 



(From the Greek hepar, the liver, from the shape of the leaves.) 



Involucrum 3-leaved, resembling a calyx near the flower. 

 Leaves of the perianth 6 — 9, arranged in 2 or 3 rows. Ache- 

 nia numerous, without tails. 



1. H. trilo'ba, (Chaix.) Leaves cordate, 3-lobed, entire, thick, coria- 

 ceous. Scape, petioles, and involucrum villous. — Rose-colored. T ? . 

 Common. Feb. 5 in. Liverwort. 



Thia plant has enjoyed great celebrity, bolh in this country and Europe. It hr.s 

 been deemed almost a specific in hepatic or livt-r affections, and, not many years 

 eince. was highly extolled as a certain cure for chronic coughs. It is a mild tonic and 

 astringent, and may be taken in any quantities by infusion in wat«;r. 



Genus IV.— ADO'AlS. L. 12— 12. (Pheasayifs Ey>.) 



Sepals 5. Petals 5 — 15, emarginate, concave, cormivent. 

 spicate, terminated by the short style. Leaves cauline, 

 tripinnate, segments linear and numerous. Flowers solitary, on 

 the- extremity of the stem or branches. 



1. A. autumna'us, (L) Stem branched, herbaceous. Carpels some- 

 what reticulate, collected into an ovate head. — Bright scarlet. ©. Aug. 

 and Lou. 



A beautiful plant of easy culture. Derives its name from the supposition that it 

 from the blood of Adonis, when wounded by a boar. 



Genus Y.— RANUNCULUS. L. 12— 12. {Crowfoot. Buttercup.) 

 (From the Latin rana, a frog, the plants growing in wet places where frogs abound.) 



Sepals 5. Petals 5 or none, with a scale on the inside of 

 the base of the petals. Stamens generally numerous. Aclie- 



