Ranunculus. | I. RANUNCULACE. 11 
deeply cut into narrow segments. Flowers small, of a pale yellow. 
Carpels few, rather large, much flattened, covered on both sides with 
conical, straight, or hooked prickles. 
A common and troublesome cornfield weed, in central and southern 
Europe, and extending to North India. Very abundant in slovenly 
farms in southern England, but decreasing northwards, and of rare 
occurrence in Ireland. Fl. and ripens its seed with the corn. 
VII. CALTHA. CALTHA. 
Glabrous herbs, with a perennial stock, and annual stems. Sepals 
about 5, large and yellow like the petals of Ranunculus, but no real 
petals. Stamens numerous. Carpels 5 to 10, laterally compressed, 
each with several seeds. 
A genus of very few species, inhabitants of temperate and cold regions 
in both the northern and southern hemispheres, 
1. C. palustris, Linn. (fig. 24). Marsh Marigold.—A perennial, 
forming large tufts, with a thick almost tuberous rootstock. Stems 
about a foot long, erect or decumbent, often rooting at the lower nodes, 
and but slightly branched. Leaves mostly radical, on long stalks, 
orbicular or kidney-shaped, cordate at the base and crenate on the 
margin. Flowers large, of a bright golden-yellow. 
In marshy places, the sides of brooks, &c., throughout Europe and 
temperate Asia to North India, and North America. Abundant in 
Britain. Fl. spring, commencing early and often lasting till summer. 
[There are three British forms: 1. vulgaris proper, with large flowers 
and spreading carpels. 2. C. Guerangerti, Boreau, with smaller flowers 
and spreading carpels. 3. Var. minor, Syme, procumbent, with solitary 
rather large flowers and erect carpels—a mountain plant. A second 
species, C. radicans, Forst., with the stem rooting at the nodes and 
deltoid acutely toothed leaves, was once found in Forfarshire, but has 
long been extinct. ] 
VIII. TROLLIUS. TROLLIUS. 
Perennial herbs, with divided leaves and yellow flowers. Sepals 5 to 
15, large and coloured like petals. Real petals about as many, small, 
linear, and flat. Stamens numerous. Carpels several, each with 
several seeds. 
Besides our species, the genus comprises but very few, all from 
northern Asia or America. 
1. T. europzeus, Linn. (fig. 25). Globe T., Globeflower.—A glabrous, 
erect plant, 1 to 2 feet high, the stem simple or nearly so. Radical 
leaves not unlike those of Ranunculus acris, palmately divided into 3 or 
5 segments, which are again lobed and cut. Stem-leaves few, smaller, 
and nearly sessile. Flowers large, pale yellow, with 10 to 15 broad 
concave sepals converging into a globe, usually concealing the petals, 
stamens, and carpels. 
In moist woods and mountain pastures, in northern and central 
Europe, eastwards to the Caucasus. Pretty frequent in Britain, from 
Wales to the Grampians, very rare in Ireland, FV. summer. 
