MARSHMARIGOLD 
Caltha palustris Linnaeus 
When the matshmarigold is in full bloom and the frogs are 
singing in chorus, we realize that spring has really come. The wet 
meadows and the margins of the brimming streams are then adorned 
with bunches of this beautiful Caltha, whose flowets seem of a mote 
brilliant gold because of the contrast with theit surroundings. The 
cluster of bright green leaves, from which the flower stems tise, 
adds to the charm of the plants. The leaves in spring ate as good as 
spinach, when boiled as greens. The nectar is a feast for small bees 
and flies which visit the flowers in great numbers. The marshmati- 
gold belongs to the Crowfoot Family. It is often erroneously called 
cowslip. 
Marshmarigold has a wide range, and may be found from South 
Carolina to Newfoundland and west to Nebraska and Saskatchewan. 
It occuts also in the Arctic regions, as well as in Furope and Asia. 
The specimen sketched grew neat Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. 
PLATE 208 
