?4 
BOTANICAL INDEX 
and more thread-like when growing in run- 
ning water, or if from any natural cause (a 
freshet or sudden rise of water) their condi- 
tions from a quiet and almost motionless situa- 
tion are changed to an agitated one, the leaves 
appear to assume the filiform character al- 
most immediately. But while they will not 
thrive in swift running water, they will also 
not survive a stagnant or foul basin or pond of 
water, but immediately perish. Neither will 
they live under f lie shade or drippings of trees, 
but must have a free circulation of fresh air 
and the morning sun, and then they will grow 
in great luxuriance and produce an abundance 
of dowers. American landscape gardeners 
as a rule seldom attempt to introduce small 
lakes or ponds in their parks and grounds for 
any other purpose than as an ornament, a fish 
anil duck pond, or if the place is large enough, 
for pleasure boating, hence we seldom realize 
the great worth in some of our hardy, native 
aquatic plants. Some of the garden species 
produce double flowers, and are among our 
choicest hardy early flowering plants, hut, so 
far as we know, none of the aquatic species ever 
produce double dowers, but their peculiarly 
rich and attractive color makes them none the 
less desirable for growing in small lakes or 
ponds of fresh water. 
All the species of Ranunculaccce agree in 
the essential characters of their juices, when 
fresh, being watery and colorless, (not milky,) 
acrid and poisonous if eaten, while the bruised 
leaves of several species will raise a blister on 
the skin when applied fresh. Some have a 
narcotic principle, which has placed them 
among the list of medical plants, but their use 
in medicine has never been popular. Cattle 
w ill not eat their green leaves, but when dried 
and used as hay this principle is dissipated, 
and fhey are quite eagerly devoured. The 
roots of many species which are certainly poi- 
‘sonous, are known to have been used as food 
in many parts of the world after drst driving 
off' the animonin. or anemonic and volatile 
acids by heat. In short acridity, causticity 
and poisons are the peculiar characters of the 
whole order. 
Pliny tells us (Book xxv,) the Greek have 4 
varieties in use as medical plants, and from 
them make 14 remedies for diseases, princi- 
pally for blistering and all caustic prepara- 
tions. He also gives two other names by which 
it was known among his countrymen, viz: 
Batrachiun (frog-plant,) and Strumus, (scrofula- 
plant,) but he says “ we,” probably, medical 
practitioners and students, call it Ranunculus, 
(crow-foot). 
But many of our readers may object to our 
calling the above species “ Water Lilies,” as 
they are so small and unpretentious, so we will 
finish this article by a brief notice of the new- 
ly introduced (into England) species. Ranuncu- 
lus Lyalli , the long talked of Water Lily of the 
New Zealand shepherds. This rare and beau- 
tiful species has long been known to exist in 
New Zealand, but has never been seen in culti- 
vation until collected by Peter Veitch in its 
Ranunculus Multijidus. 
