460 
BRITISH PLANTS — THE THALICTRUM. 
reflexed in fruit, and furnished with ovate 
lanceolate bracteas. Flowers in June and 
July ; and is found on elevated moist alpine 
pastures, on the higher mountains of the 
North of England, Wales, and Scotland. 
Th. minus, Linnceus — Lesser Meadow Rue. 
Stem zigzag, striated, branched ; leaves doubly 
or triply pinnate ; leaflets ternate, three cleft, 
glaucous; stipules rounded, spreading ; flowers 
panicled; carpels attenuated at both ends. 
An herbaceous perennial, growing from one to 
two feet high, with a somewhat creeping root, 
and erect stem, bearing pinnated leaves, with 
bluntish wedge-shaped ternate leaflets. The 
infloi'escence is a spreading panicle, with sim- 
ple awl-shaped, or ternate bracteas. The 
carpels spreading, deeply furrowed. Flowers 
in June and July. Found on hills and rocky 
places, especially in limestone or- chalky 
pastures, or by the sea-side ; not unfrequent. 
Th. mqjus, is by some regarded only as a 
variety ; it differs chiefly in having crescent- 
shaped stipules, and sub-umbellate flowers. 
There is also a variety called glandulosum 
or wedge-shaped, trifle!, the upper ones 
almost linear. The inflorescence is a terminal, 
upright, sub-corymbose panicle, consisting of 
Thalicirum magus. 
which has the stems and leaves covered with 
short glandular pubescence. 
* * Stamens erect. 
Th. fiavum, Linnaeus — Common Meadow 
Rue. Root creeping ; stem erect, furrowed ; 
leaves bipinnate ; panicle corymbose, compact ; 
flowers erect. An herbaceous perennial, 
growing three or four feet high, with a some- 
what creeping root, and erect stems. The 
leaves are bipinnate, with ovate acute stipules, 
toothed on the margin ; the leaflets are 
smooth, rather pale beneath, broadly ovate, 
Thalicirum Jlavum. 
numerous densely crowded erect flowers, on 
short pedicels, with lanceolate smooth brac- 
teas. Flowers in June and July. It is 
found, rather commonly, in wet meadows, 
and by the banks of rivers, but less fre- 
quently met with in Scotland. There is a 
variety of it called ovatum, which has. broader 
leaflets, with a rounded base. The plant is 
altogether very variable in the shape of its 
leaflets. 
All the Thalictrums are worth cultivating 
among the particular class to which they, 
belong — hardy herbaceous plants. Th. minus 
and Th. alpinum, are very pretty little plants 
indeed for rockwork, or the front part of a 
mixed flower border. The other kinds men- 
tioned are of larger growth, and associate 
with common herbaceous plants. The genus 
possesses bitter, somewhat cathartic qualities, 
but none of the kinds are now used medi- 
cinally ; they are not relished by cattle. The 
flower has been, used as a yellow dye for 
woollen goods, but is not much valued for 
that purpose. 
CRYPTOMERIA JAPONICA. 
Cryptomeria japonica ranges in the section 
Cupressinea of the natural order Comferce, 
and is closely allied to the common cypress, 
both botanically and in habit. It is a native 
of the various islands composing the empire 
of Japan, in the larger islands of that group 
forming a prominent feature in the woods 
