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( 153 .) 



CA'LTHA* * 



Linnean Class and Order. Polya'ndria f, Polygy'nia. 



Natural Order . Ranuncula'ce a: +, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 231. — 

 Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 136. — Lindl. Syn. p. 7. Introd. to Nat. Syst. 

 of Bot. p. 6. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 465. — Loud. ITort. Brit. p. 495. 

 — Rosales ; sect. Ranunculina: ; subsect. Ranunculiana: ; 

 type, Ranunculacea: ; subtype, Helleborea: ; Burn. Outl. of 

 Bot. pp. 614, 828, 832, 837, & 839. 



Gen. Char. Calyx none. Corolla ( calyx of Hooker) of 5 or 

 more, inferior, egg-shaped, or elliptical, nearly flat, spreading 

 petals, Nectaries none. Filaments (fig. 1.) numerous, thread- 

 shaped, shorter than the corolla. Jlntliers terminal, upright, ob- 

 long, of 2 lobes, bursting at the outer edges. Germens (see fig. 1.) 

 superior, 5 to 10, upright, oblong, compressed. Styles none. 

 Stigmas blunt. Capsules (follicles) (figs. 2 & 3.) as many as the 

 germens, cylindrical, pointed, compressed, spreading, bursting at 

 the upper edge. Seeds (fig. 4.) numerous, arranged along the 

 margins of the capsule, egg-shaped, with a small rounded promi- 

 nence at the extremity. 



The corolla of 5 or more petals ; the compressed, spreading, 

 many-seeded follicles, 5 to 10 in number; and the absence of a 

 calyx and nectaries ; will distinguish this from other genera in the 

 same class and order. 



Two species British. 



CA'LTIIA PALU'STRIS. Common Marsh-marigo’d. Meadow- 

 bouts. Gowans. Mare-blobs. Golden-knobs. 



Spec. Char. Stem upright. Leaves heart-shaped, rounded, 

 crenate. Flowers large, yellow. 



Engl. Bot. t. 506.— Curt. FI. bond. t. —Linn. Sp. PI. p. 784— Huds. FI. 

 Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 245— Sm. FI. Brit. v. ii. p. 599. Engl. FI. v. iii. p. 59— 

 Willi. (7lh ed.) v. iii. p.687. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 714. — Lindl. Syn. p. 

 12. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 268. — Liglitf. FI. Scot. v. i. p.298. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. 

 p. 176. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 124. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p.257. — Relli. FI. 

 Cantab. (3rd ed.) p. 227— Hook. FI. Scot. p. 176. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 127. — FI. 

 Devon, pp. 95 & 194. — Jolinst. FI. of Benv. v. i. p. 125. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of 

 Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 43. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 159. — Curt. Brit.Entom. vol. v. 

 t. 224. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 2. — Mack. Catal. of PI. of lrel. p. 53 . — Cult ha pains- 

 tris major, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 817. — Populayo, Kay’s Syn. p.272. 



Localities. — Marshy meadows, watery places, and about the margins of 

 ponds, rivers, and brooks. Common. 



Perennial. — Flowers in March, April, and May. 



Root of many, round, thick, white fibres. Stems several, nearly 

 upright, from 12 to 18 inches high, round, hollow, smooth, leafy, 



Fig. 1. Stamens and Pistils. — Fig. 2. Capsules.— Fig. 3, A separate Capsule. — 

 Fig. 4. A Seed. 



* Fiom kalathos, Gr. a cup, which its flowers resemble. Hooker. 

 t See Anemone nemorosa, f. 43, n. 1'. t See Clematis vitalba, f. 129, a. 



