THE BUTTERCUP FAMILY 
3 
Local, only growing in one or two places in the Lake district, near Ambleside and Keswick. 
July — August. Perennial. 
Yellow Meadow-rue. (Thalictrum flavum, Linn.) — Flowers erect, terminating the 
stem and branches in a compact cluster (corymb) ; the sepals yellow, like petals (petaloid) ; the 
stamens numerous and yellow. [As described in the genus Meadow-rue (Thalictrum).] Stem 
2-4 feet high, furrowed and branched ; the leaves large, divided to the midrib into entire leaflets, 
which are again similarly divided (bi-pinnate), the leaflets being 3-lobed and longer than broad ; 
with stipules. \Plate 2. 
Not uncommon. Banks of rivers and ditches. July — August. Perennial. 
WIND-FLOWER. (ANEMONE, LINN.) — Flowers solitary on leafless stalks from the root 
(scapes), with three leafy, lobed bracts about an inch below each flower. Sepals 4-20, brightly 
coloured, like petals (petaloid) ; petals o ; stamens numerous ; carpels numerous, each terminated 
with a style, which is sometimes feathery, and which remains and lengthens with the fruit. Fruit 
a head of achenes, each achene terminated with the style. Perennial herbs, with the leaves all 
from the root (radical) and deeply lobed. 
Pasque-flower. (Anemone Pulsatilla, Linn.)— As just described. The flowers i| inches 
across, solitary, drooping in bud, and only opening in bright sunshine ; the bracts on the flower- 
stalks lobed to the base (palmatifid) into narrow segments ; the sepals 6, purple, like petals 
(petaloid), silky outside ; the stamens numerous and yellow, each fruit (achene) terminated with 
the lengthened feathery style inches long, the leaves all from the root (radical) and divided to 
the midrib into entire leaflets, which are again similarly divided (bi-pinnate), each leaflet being 
lobed into narrow segments (pinnatifid). 
Rare. Very local. Chalky downs, or on limestone. March — June. Perennial. 
Wind-flower, Wood Anemone. (Anemone nemorosa, Linn.) — A similar species, with 
the solitary flowers erect ; the sepals 6-9, white tinged with pink or purple, like petals (petaloid) ; 
the stamens yellow ; the achenes terminated with the short styles, which are not feathery ; the 
bracts on the flower-stalk leafy and divided into 3-lobed leaflets ; the leaves few, all from the root 
(radical), divided from the base into three distinct lobed leaflets (palmate). [. Plate 2. 
Very common. Woods and bushy places. March — May. Perennial. 
There are two other species of Anemone occasionally found, one blue (Anemone apennina, 
Linn.), the other yellow (A. ranunculoides, Linn.), but they are neither of them natives. 
*PHEASANT’S-EYE. (ADONIS, LINN.) — Flowers red or straw-colour, solitary, terminating 
the stem and branches. Sepals 5, coloured like petals (petaloid); petals 5-10; stamens 
numerous ; carpels many, i-seeded. Fruit a head of achenes. Herbs with much-divided 
leaves. 
*Common Pheasant’s-eye. (Adonis autumnalis, Linn.)— Not a native. As just 
described. The petals scarlet, with dark purple bases, and the leaves twice or thrice deeply 
lobed towards the midrib into narrow segments (bi- or tri-pinnatifid). 
Rare. Local. In corn-fields, especially on chalk. September. Annual. 
MOUSETAIL. (MYOSURUS, LINN.) — Flowers small, yellowish, clustered in dense spikes on 
leafless stalks from the root (scapes). Sepals 5-7, with a small spur at the base ; petals equal in 
number to the sepals, narrow, tubular at the base; stamens few; carpels numerous. Fruit a spike 
of achenes. Annual herbs, with all the leaves from the root (radical). 
B 2 
