ANUNCULUS F1CARIA. PlLEWORT. 



RANUNCULUS Linnai Gen. PL Polyandria Polygynia. 



Cat, 5-phyllus. Cor. 5-petala. Sent, plunm. Petala ungue nedarifero, 



Raii Syn. Gen. 15. Herb^e semine nudo Polyspermy. 

 RANUNCULUS Ficaria foliis cordatis angulatis petiolatls. Linnet Syjl. Vegetub. p. 428. Ft. Suecic. p. 195, 

 FICARIA Haller hijk hefo. n. 11 60. Hud/on Ft. Jtngl. p. 213, 

 RANUNCULUS Ficaria. Scopoli Fl Carniol p. 395* 

 CHELIDONIA rotunclifolia minor. jBauhin Pin. 309, 

 CHELIDONIUM minus. Gerard emac. S16. Parkhifon 617. Rait Syn. 24.6, Pilewort or the leiter 



Celandine; Oeder Fl. Dan. icon. 469. 



RADIX tuberofa, tuberibus numerofis, congeftis, pal- | ROOT tuberous, the knobs or bulbs numerous, croud- 



lidis, fubpyriformibus, modo brevibus, modo | ed, of a pale colour, fomewhat pear-fhaped, 



longe protenfis ; e fummo tuberum oriunttir fl- % fometimes fhort, fometimes extended to a con- 



brillge plurimae. f fiderable length ; from the top of them arife 



f . many fmall fibrous roots. 



CAULES plures, palmares et ultra, teneri, glabrij ad | STALKS numerous, four inches or more in length, 



baiinrubri, ramofi,decumbentes, nonnunquam | tender, fmooth, red at bottom, branched^ de- 



etiam repentes, bulbillis , in axillis foiiorum % cumbent, fometimes even creeping, from little 



radicantibus. | bulbs in the bofoms of the leaves taking root. 



FOLIA radicalia fubrotundo-cordata, variantia, longe $ LEAVES next the root of a roundifh heart-lhaped figure, 



petiolata, maculis albis interdum notata, gla- X variable, ftanding on long foot-ftalks, fometimes 



bra, venis fuperne impreffis, fubcrenata, caulina | fpotted with white, imooth and mining ; the 



fubtriangularia, angulofa. % veins on the upper fide of the leaf prefied in, 



% differently notched in different leaves ; thofe 



I of the ftalk triangular with an angular mar- 



% . gin. 



PEDUNCULI uniflori, fulcati, perada florefcentia re- | FOOT-STALKS of the flowers fuftaining one flower 



curvati. | on each, grooved, when the bloflbrh is fallen 



% bending backwards. 



CALYX: Perianthium triphyllum foliolis concavis, | CALYX: a Perianthium of three leaves, which are 



deciduis, bafi fua caule'm amplecl:entibus,/o-. 1. % hollow and deciduous, and embrace the top of 



I the MKfig> I- 



COROLLA: Petala plerumque o£to, quoad formam | COROLLA: generally eight Petals, which vary ex- 



valde variantia, plerumque vero ovato-lanceo- t ceedingly in their form, moft commonly of an 



lata, lutea, nitida, fig. 2, 3. | oval-pointed lhape, yellow and mining,^. 2,3. 



STAMINA: Filament a numerofa; ANTHERiEflavae, $ STAMINA: Filaments numerous; Anthers yel- 



oblongas, compreffe, fig. 6, 7. I ' low, oblong and fkt, fig. 6, 7. 



PISTILLUM: GERMiNAnumerofa,incapitulumcollec- | PISTILLUM : Germina numerous, forming a little 



ta; Stigmata parva,^. 8. | head; Stigmata very fmall, fig. 8. 



SEMINA plurima fubovata fa^pius abortiva, fig. 9. | SEEDS numerous, fomewhat ova], moft commonly 



f abortive, fig. 9. 



KECTARIUM fquamtila ad bafm petalorum, fig. 4, 5. I NECTARY a little fcale at the bafe of the petals, 



t fig- 4, 5» 



BOTANISTS feem very much divided in their opinions reflecting the genus of this plant, fome making it 

 a Ranunculus, others a genus diftina from it. Thofe who object, to its being a Ranunculus urge its not having the 

 charafters of that genus ; that the Calyx, inftead of having five leaves, has only three, while the Petals are more 

 numerous than in the Crowfoots : this is granted : but is a deficiency in, or an addition to any of the parts of the fructifi- 

 cation, a fufflcient reafon for founding a new Genus ? I mould apprehend not ; for fuch'initances we meet^ with in 

 plants'almoft every day : habit and peculiar charact-eriftics are more to be attended to : and in this cafe, its glofly 

 Petals, with its fquamula or fcale at the bafe of each ; its grooved peduncles joined to its general appearance, feem 

 fully to juflify the great reformer of Botany in making it a Ranunculus. 



Although the Calyx in general has only "three leaves, it fometimes occurs with four and five. | 



As th.e*P/lewort blows earlier than any of our other Crowfoots, it- is liable to have its parts of fructification injured 

 by the inclemency of the weather, to fecu re it from which, it has a power of clofing it Petals in a much greater 

 decree than the others, and in this ftate we ufually find it in the mornings and evenings, and in wet weather ; and 

 may not nature to produce this effecr. deviate from 'the ufual ftru&ure of the flowers of this genus ? Is not the Calyx 

 by being in three leaves ftronger than if it had been in five ? And will not the Petals by being more numerous make 

 lefs refinance to the clofing power of the Calyx ? 



hi itsfirft appearance in the Spring, this plant is fmall and extends but little ; but in the month of May, parti- 

 cularly by the fides of moift ditches, it grows much more luxuriantly, and in this ftate, fmall bulbs, like grains of 

 wheat, are obfervable in the bofoms of the leaves, which, as the ftalks lie on the ground, get into the earth, and 

 become the tuberous roots of young plants : this proviilon of nature for its encreafe, feems the more neceffary, as it 

 is butfeldom that its feeds come to perfection. Now and thenahead with perfect, feeds is obfervable, and when the plant 

 ftands fingly, the ftalk fupporting them bends towards the ground, fo that the feeds may infinuate themfelves : thus 

 nature appears to have been abundantly careful in its prefervation. 



The Roots, like thofe of the Orchis and other bulbous plants, are renewed every^ year. 



In fome Meadows, Paftures and Orchards, it very much abounds, to the exclufion of more ufeful plants : as 

 Cattle do not appear to eat it, it would be good huibandry to dig it up, and fow the ground with fuch plants as are 



more beneficial. ........... 



The particular form of its roots feems firft to have introduced it as a medicine for the Piles, m which diford 

 like many other remedies more rationally recommended, it irny palliate, but will fcarcely effect a. cure. 



It is cultivated in Gardens with a double flower. 



■er. 



