84 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



explained by quoting the Linnaean character of two 

 allied genera; for example, Ranunculus and Caltha^ be- 

 longing to the class Polyandria and order Polygynia. 



Eanunculus. 



Gen» Char. — Calyx, 5 phyllus. Petala 5, intra un- 

 gues poro mellifero. Semina, nuda. 



In English the above means that the calyx consists of 

 5 sepals ; corolla, 5 petals, each having a honey-bear- 

 ing pore at their base, and the seeds naked. 



Caltha. 



Gen. Char. — Calyx 0. Petala 5 — 8. Nect. 0. Caps. 

 plures, polyspermse, intus dehiscentes. 



This means that there is no calyx, the corolla con- 

 sists of five to eight petals, destitute of nectary, the 

 honey-bearing pore, and that it has^ many seed vessels 

 opening on the inner side, each containing a number of 

 seeds. 



Both these genera contain a number of species, each 

 separately described, of which the following is an ex- 

 ample, being the specific character of two closely allied 

 species of Ranunculus, namely : — 



R. acris. — Calycibus patulis, pedunculis teretibus, 

 foliis tripartito-multifidis ; summis linearibus. 



R. hulhosus. — Calycibus retroflexis, pedunculis sul- 

 catis, caule erecto multifloro, foliis compositis. 



The most important distinction between these two 

 species is in the peduncles of the first being plain, and 

 of the latter channelled. 



It is proper to explain that Linnaeus and other early 

 botanists frequently erred in calling fruit seed ; for in- 



