MARSH MARYGOLD. NETTLE. 



47 



Essential character. — Receptacle naked. Down capillary 

 or feathery. Calyx imbricated, its inner scales rounded, 

 scariose coloured. 



This weed is not very abundant, and is extirpated without 

 very much difficulty by cutting the stems below ground with 

 a narrow spade that is made for the purpose of cutting large 

 roots. 



10. The "Marsh marygold," or the " Caltha palustris" of 

 botany, often occupies much space on damp meadows. The 

 plant belongs to the class and order "Polyandria polygynia" 

 of Linneus, and the natural order ^' Ranunculacese " of 

 Jussieu, 



Generic character. — Calyx none. Corolla : petals five, 

 ovate, flat, spreading, deciduous, large. Stamina : filaments 

 numerous, filiform shorter than the corolla ; anthers com- 

 pressed, obtuse, erect. Pistil : germ superior, five to ten, 

 oblong, compressed, erect ; styles none ; stigmas simple. 

 Pericarp : capsules as many, short, acuminate, spreading, 

 one-celled, two-keeled, gaping in the superior suture. Seeds 

 many, ovate or ovate-oblong, smooth, affixed to a superior 

 suture in a double row. 



Essential character. — Calyx none ; petals five ; nectary 

 none; capsule several, many-seeded. 



There is only one species of the genus, or the " Caltha 

 palustris," called marsh marygold, or meadow-bowts, or 

 water blobs. The root is perennial. Stems several, almost 

 upright; about a foot high, hollow, nearly round, smooth, 

 branched, purple at bottom. Radical leaves on long petioles, 

 cordate ; reniform, smooth, shining, and notched or crenated ; 

 sometimes scalloped, sometimes entire. Stem-leaves nearly 

 sessile, more pointed at top, and sharply crenated. Stipules 

 brown, membranous, and withering. Branches dichotomous. 

 Peduncles" one-flowered, upright, grooved. Seeds beautiful, 

 at bottom of an olive, and at top of a reddish, colour. It 

 flowers in March and April and so early as February. The 

 plant is disagreeable to grazing animals, and should be rooted 

 out by the means recommended for the last weed. 



11. The " Nettle," or the Urtica" of botany, often grows 



