( ) 
CLASS XII. 
Herbs ^dvith a great number of naked feeds. 
Ray'j- Synof f 246. 
r~riHE plants of this clafs have many naked 
t feeds, at leaft more than four fucceeding each, 
flower. By naked feeds is meant fuch as have not 
any feed-veflfel out of which they drop when ripe, 
but fall whth their coverings upon them. 
Chelidonium minus, the Leflfer Celandine. The 
empalement confiils, for the mofl: part, of three 
leaves, fometimes of four ; they fall away with 
the petals : The flower is expanded in the form 
of a Rofe, having eight or ten petals ; which 
grow round the bafe of the placenta, inclofing a 
great number of chives, arifing from their bot- 
toms, and the bottoms of the ovaries : The feeds 
fband round the placenta in a globular figure ; 
each feed having a crooked vagina, or fheath, with 
a fpungy top. We have but one fpecies of this 
plant, viz, 
Chelidonium minus ^ R. 246. G. 669. P. 617. Che- 
lidoni a rot undifolio minor ^ C. 309. Pilewort, or the 
LeflTer Celandine. It has a tuberous or granulous 
root : The leaves are roundifh, and the flowers 
yellow. It flow'ers in February and March, 
The roots of Pilewort, taken inwardly, and an ointment, made 
of the leaves and roots, applied outwardly, eafes the pain and 
Iwelling of the piles, and fcops their bleeding. 
Ranunculus, Crowfoot. The flower confifis of 
feveral petals ; which expand in the form of a 
Rofe, with a great number of chives : The em- 
palement, for the moft part, confifts of five leaves, 
and falls away with the petals. Out of the mid- 
dle of the flower rifes the flryle, which becom.es 
a 
