570 
BRITISH PLANTS. 
commonly, by the sides of lakes and rivulets 
in Scotland. 
The Calthas are acrid plants, and cattle 
will not eat them if they can get other food. 
They are, however, exceedingly showy plants, 
and from their being unmolested by cattle, they 
produce a very gay appearance on their native 
banks. Even the single-flowered state of the 
plant is worthy of being introduced to the 
margins of artificial water, where flowering 
plants are cared for in such situations. Under 
cultivation, a double-flowered variety has 
been produced, which is very showy in 
suitably damp situations. The juice of the 
flowers, when boiled with alum, is said to 
form a good yellow dye for paper ; and the 
young flower-buds, properly pickled, make a 
good substitute for capers. 
THE GENUS TROLLIUS. 
Character. — Calyx of five or many peta- 
loid deciduous sepals ; petals small, linear, 
fiat, clawed, with a nectariferous depression 
about the claw ; capsules numerous, sessile, 
many-seeded follicles. Upright herbaceous 
plant, with palmate multijid leaves and 
fascicled roots. 
T. europceus, Linnseus. — Mountain Globe 
Flower. Stem erect; leaves palmately 
five- parted; segments rhomboid, three- 
pirtite, inciso-serrated ; sepals ten to fifteen, 
converging into a globe ; petals ten, about 
as long as the stamen. A herbaceous pe- 
rennial, growing from one to two feet high, 
with stout fleshy fibrous roots, and smooth, 
erect, slightly branched stems. The leaves 
are numerous, on long stalks, palmate, with 
oblong, wedge-shaped, deeply-cut segments. 
The flowers are terminal, solitary, large, 
globose, of a bright yellow colour. The petals 
are often concealed by the spreading of the 
stamens. Flowers in June and July. Found 
in moist mountain pastures. The Globe- 
flower is a commonly cultivated and very 
ornamental border plant, and under cultivation 
becomes double from the expansion of the 
stamens into petaloid segments. It is of the 
easiest culture. Like the Hellebores, this plant 
is cathartic and diuretic, and possessed of 
bitter acrid properties, but it is less powerful 
than the Hellebores. 
THE GENUS HELLEBOKUS. 
Character. — Calyx of five petaloid persis- 
tent sepals ; petals small, tubular, two-lipped, 
clawed ; capsules three to ten, many-seeded, 
sessile. 
H. viridis, Linnaeus. — Green Hellebore. 
Stem few-flowered, leafy ; radical leaves 
digitate, stalked; stem-leaves sessile at the 
ramifications ; calyx spreading. A herba- 
ceous perennial, with numerous fleshy 
fibrous roots, and an erect stem, growing a 
foot high, forked above. The leaves are 
large, seldom more than two or three 
from the base of the stem ; the veins are 
prominent beneath ; the leaves of the stem are 
smaller. The flowers are greenish yellow, 
some terminal, some axillary. The capsules 
consist of from three to five ovate, compressed, 
many-seeded, acutely keeled follicles. Flowers 
in April and May. Found in woods and 
thickets, on calcareous soils. 
S.fcetidus, Linnaeus. — Stinking Hellebore. 
Stem many-flowered, leafy ; leaves pedate 
stalked, upper ones gradually becoming ovate 
bracts ; calyx converging. A herbaceous 
perennial, with fleshy fibrous roots, and a 
smooth branched leafy stem, about two feet 
high. The leaves are large, evergreen, pedate, 
on long angular channelled footstalks, with 
narrow linear lanceolate segments ; the upper 
leaves gradually contract, and the petioles 
widen, until they become bracts. The flowers 
are globose, pale green tipped with purple, 
drooping. The capsules consist of from three 
to five ovate, compressed, foliaceous follicles. 
Flowers in March and April. Found in 
thickets, on a calcareous soil, but usually near 
houses, so that it may possibly be an introduced 
plant. The plant grows well in shady places. 
The Hellebores are interesting, as being 
early flowering, hardy border plants, though 
they are not very showy. H. fcetidus possesses 
bitter acrid properties, accompanied by a very 
unpleasant odour. "When used either in a fresh 
or dried state, it is cathartic and emetic in a 
violent degree, and in over doses it proves 
very injurious. As an anthelmintic it has been 
used with considerable advantage, but in con- 
sequence of the violence of its action it has 
fallen fnto disuse. One species of Hellebore 
(H. niger) commonly called the Christmas 
Rose, from its blooming about Christmas time, 
is a much admired hardy plant, producing 
white flowers, eventually changing to green. 
This plant is still sometimes used medicinally 
as a drastic cathartic, but in consequence of 
the violence of its action, other less powerful 
medicines are frequently substituted for it. 
As a border flower, it well merits the attention 
it excites. 
THE GENUS AQUILEGIA.- 
Character. — Calyx of five petaloid decidu- 
ous sepals; petals five, funnel-shaped, with a 
horn-like spur; capsules three to five, erect, 
many-seeded follicles. 
A. vulgaris, Linnaeus. — Common Colum- 
bine. Stem leafy, many- flowered; leaves 
biternate, leaflets three-lobed, crenate ; spur 
of the petals incurved at the point ; 
limb obtuse, rather shorter than the stamen. 
A herbaceous perennial, growing from 
two to three feet high, with fleshy roots 
