By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 



113 



North Division. 



4. North-west District, Bradford, Melksham, Chippenham, Woot- 

 ton Basset, Malmsbury, Castle Combe, Colerne, and Box. 



5. North-east District, Calne, Swindon, Cricklade, Marlborough, 

 and Great Bedwyn. 



From the above area of distribution, "C. majus," (Linn.) may be 

 considered not an unl'requent plant in "Wilts. Yet so constantly 

 does it occur in the vicinity of old houses, cottage gardens, orch- 

 ards, and other suspicious places, that many botanists scarcely 

 deem it a native species. The Common or Greater Celandine is so 

 named in contradistinction to "Ranunculus Ficaria," (Linn.) Pile- 

 wort Crowfoot, which was called by the old botanists Lesser Cel- 

 andine. It approaches to the natural order Crucijerm in the cruci- 

 form shape of the corolla, and its silique or pod ; which however 

 differs essentially in being only one-celled, thus allying it to Papa- 

 veracece. The whole plant is very brittle, and when broken or 

 wounded, exudes an orange-coloured fetid juice. Its taste is in- 

 tensely bitter and acrid, occasioning a sense of burning in the 

 mouth and fauces similar to that produced by Caj 7 enne pepper, 

 which lasts for a considerable time. Externally the juice has been 

 long known as a popular remedy to destroy warts. The method 

 of applying it, is simply to break the stalk and touch the part af- 

 fected with the yellow juice that exudes : when taken internally 

 the juice is a violent acrid poison, producing inflammation in the 

 textures to which it is applied. M. Orfila has seen speedy death 

 produced by it. A variety with very hairy stalks and laciniated 

 petals, has been supposed by M. De Candolle and Lamarck to be a 

 distinct species. It is mentioned by Clusius, Bauhine, and several 

 other of the old botanists, and is the var. b. of Sir J. E. Smith's 

 Flora Britannica and English Flora, where it was first mentioned as 

 a British plant, and likewise by Dr. Dillenius in the 3rd edition of 

 "Ray's Synopsis," p. 309. This variety differs from " C. majus," 

 (Linn.) in the segments of the leaves being cut into narrow strap- 

 shaped, jagged, pointed lobes, and in the petals being deeply cut 

 into two or three principal divisions, which are again cut or ser- 

 rated. It has not as yet been observed in Wilts. 



