BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
19 
by mistake for celery. The upper part of this flower bears sufficient resemblance to a monk’s cowl to explain 
the name of Monk’s-hood; but why it is called TVolf’s-bane is not so clear. Aconitum is said to be derived 
from the name of the city Acone in Bithynia, or from a Greek word, signifying a rock or stone. Napellus, which 
signifies a small turnip, refers to the fleshy knob at the base of the stem. 
Sect. 2. Spurious Ranunculacecs. 
GENUS XIII. 
THE BANE-BERRY (Acwea, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. POLYANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character. —Calyx deciduous, of four sepals. Petals four. Berry many-seeded. Perennial herbs. (Dec.) 
Description, &c. —This genus is said to belong to the spurious Ranunculacese, because its seeds are 
contained in a berry, instead of being in distinct carpels, according to the character of the order. For the same 
reason it is placed in the Linnsean order Monogynia. The word Actaea is the Greek name for the Elder, in 
allusion to the leaves of the Bane-berry bearing some resemblance to those of that tree. 
1.—THE COMMON BANE-BERRY, OR HERB CHRISTOPHER. (Actaea spicata, Lin .) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 918 ; 2d ed., t. 746. 
Specific Character. —Raceme erect, elongated. Petals as long as the stamens. Pedicels of the fruit slender. (Smith.) 
Description, &c. —This plant is a native of the mountainous districts of Yorkshire and the south of 
Scotland ; but it is only found within a very limited range. It has a creeping root, with an erect stem, white 
flowers, and dark purple berries which are virulently poisonous, though fortunately they are so nauseous, both in 
taste and smell, as to be in little danger of being eaten. It is from the poisonous quality of the fruit that the 
plant takes the name of Bane-berry. 
GENUS XIY. 
THE PEONA^. (Pax>nia, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. POLYANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 
Description, &c. —The male Peony (P. corallina) having been found growing on a small island in the 
Severn, this genus has been ranked among British plants, but there is no doubt that it is not a true native. 
The winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) has also been found growing wild occasionally ; but it is certainly not 
a native of Great Britain. 
CHAPTER II. 
THiii BERBERRY FAMILAL (Berberidea:, Vent. 
Character of the Order. —Sepals 3-4-6, deciduous, in a double 
low, surrounded externally by petaloid scales. Petals hypogynous, 
either equal to the sepals in number, and opposite to them, or twice as 
many, generally with an appendage at the base in the inside. Stamens 
equal in number to the petals, and opposite to them ; anthers gene¬ 
rally with two separate cells, opening elastically with a valve from the 
Description, &c. —This order is distinguished from 
bottom to the top. Ovarium solitary, one-celled ; style rather lateral ; 
stigma orbicular. Fruit buried or capsular. Seeds attached to the 
bottom of the cell on one side, 1-2 or 3 ; albumen between fleshy and 
corneous; embryo straight in the axis. Shrubs or herbaceous peren¬ 
nial plants, for the most part smooth. (Lindley.) 
all others, except the Laurel tribe, by the very peculiar 
construction of its stamens. It is well known that stamens generally consist of a slender thread-stalk called 
d 2 
