April 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
39 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
w 
APRIL 15—21, 1852. 
Weather near London 
in 1851. 
Sun 
Sun 
Moon 
Moon’s 
Clock 
Day of 
IJ 
D 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. Rain in In. 
Rises. 
Sets. 
R.&S. 
Age. 
bef. Sun. 
Year. 
15 
Th 
Easter Term begins. 
29.830 — 29.800 
49—40 
N.E. 
01 
6 a. 5 
54 a. G 
4 19 
26 
Oaf. 4 
106 
16 
F 
Ray’s Locustelle seen. 
29.856 — 29.793 
57—43 
E. 
46 
3 
56 
4 39 
27 
0 19 
107 
17 
s 
29.857 — 29.761 
63—39 
S.W. 
01 
1 
58 
4 55 
28 
0 33 
108 
18 
Sun 
1st, or Low Sunday. 
29.981 —2«.865 
64—31 
s.w. 
— 
IV 
VII 
5 12 
29 
0 46 
109 
19 
M 
Alphege. 
30.031 —29739 
65—34 
S.W. 
_ 
57 
1 
sets. 
© 
1 0 
no 
20 
To 
Sun’s clecl., 11° 40' N. 
29 . 864 — 29.462 
63—48 
:s.e. 
20 
55 
3 
8a 4 
1 
1 13 
111 
21 
W 
Oxford and Cambridge Term begins. 
29.549 — 29.519 
65—48 
s.w. 
26 
53 
4 
9 12 
2 
1 25 
112 
Meteorology of tbs Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera¬ 
tures of these days are 57.0° and 37.7° respectively. The greatest heat, 71°, occurred on the 17 th in 1844 ; and the lowest cold, 20° on the lfith 
in 1847. During the period 104 days were fine, and on 71 rain fell. 
BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
CROWFOOTS—RANUNCULACEiE. 
THALICTRUM. MEADOW-RUE Or RUE-WEED. 
This genus belongs to Polyandria Polygynia, class and 
order of the Linnamn system. Its botanical name is derived 
from the Greek, tliallo, to grow green, and alludes to the 
bright green colour of the young shoots. Tho English 
name refers to the usual place of growth of the commonest 
species, and to their leaves somewhat resembling those of 
the Rue. It is one of those popular names that is very likely 
to mislead the young botanist, for neither in habit nor in 
qualities do any of the species resemble Rue. Bastard 
Rhubarb is a name also applied to the genus, not only on 
account of the yellow colour of the roots, but of their pur¬ 
gative quality. 
Generic Characters. —■Calyx none, unless, with some 
botanists, we choose to call the corolla a calyx. Petals four, 
rarely five, roundish, blunt, concave, and deciduous. Sta¬ 
mens very numerous, with hair-like filaments, rather thickish 
at the top, of various lengths, but longer than the petals ; 
anthers oblong, drooping, bursting at the edge. Pistils very 
numerous, without styles; stigmas egg-shaped, swollen, 
downy. Germs many, superior, egg-shaped, channelled. 
Seeds same number and shape as germs, furrowed or winged, 
and tailless. 
Thalictrum AT.riNUM : Alpine, or Smallest Mountain 
Rue-Weed. 
Description .—This is a delicate little perennial. Pont of 
a few long cylindrical fibres, with runners near tho surface. 
Herb quite smooth, from tlireo to six inches high. Boot- 
leaves on long, purplish, slender, upright footstalks, twice 
tliree-leafleted, and somewhat pinnate, their little roundish 
or wedge-shaped veiny leaflets convex, variously lobed, dark 
green, often purplish, and shining above ; milky-green and 
concave beneath. Stipulas oblong, membranous, united to 
the base of the footstalks at each side. Stem simple, erect, 
round, about twice as long as tho leaves, milky-green or 
purplish, smooth and naked, except in luxuriant specimens, 
which have an almost stalkless, compound leaf, about the 
middle. Flowers in a cluster, drooping when fully expanded, 
but afterwards erect; flowers eight or ten, each on a small 
stalk, with a small, either leafy or membranous, bract beneath 
each. Petals four, usually white, sometimes purplish, 
pointed. Stamens hair-like, and eight or ten in number, 
often purplish ; anthers tawny, vertical. Germs usually two 
or four, rarely more, roundish, green, each with a whitish, 
spear-head-like, downy, styleless stigma. Seeds almost 
even. 
Places where found. —In wet black mould, in the clefts of 
rocks, and by the side of rivulets, on the loftiest mountains 
in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Durham. It descends to 
the sea-shore in Sutherlandshire. 
Time of flowering. —Slay to July. 
History. —-This plant is at home only in an inhospitable 
climate; it is found in America, but only in Newfoundland; 
in Asia, but only at Kamtscliatka; so Lapland, Greenland, 
and Iceland, are its rejoicing places in Europe. Africa does 
not seem to have a spot sufficiently inclement for it. It is 
liable to be attacked on the under surface of its leaves by a 
minute parasitical fungus, fEcidium Thalictri. This grows 
in clusters of a roundish form, and of a bright orange 
colour. 
Thalictrum minus : Smaller Meadow Rue. 
Description. —It is a perennial. Boot fibrous and creeping. 
Stem from four to twelve inches high, branched, leafy, 
milky-green, smooth, somewhat grooved, zigzaged in the 
lower part. Leaves doubly pinnate, then three-leafleted; 
leaflets various in figure and size ; broadly heart-shaped or 
wedge-shaped ; milky-green on both sides, smooth, notched 
or lobed in the fore part. Footstalks angular, smooth ; the 
common one short, broad, channelled above, strongly 
furrowed beneath. Stipulas interior, simple, clasping the 
stem, short, broad, rounded, milky-green, purplish, jagged 
or fringed at the edge. Panicles compound, spreading, 
accompanied at the base by a few three-lealleted, or slightly 
pinnate, leaves. Bracteas few, small, spear-headed. Flowers 
drooping, on slender stalks. Petals four, pale purple, with 
white edges, oval. Seeds furrowed. 
Places where found. —On chalky pastures, especially where 
rather mountainous, and in shelly sand on the sea-shore. 
Time of flowering. —June and July. 
There is a variety with broader leaves, but this depends 
on the soil. {Smith; Marly n ; Withering ; Greville ; Par¬ 
kinson.) 
Mr. Alexander Anderson was at the island of St. 
Lucia when he wrote the last of his letters that we have 
printed. He was then labouring under pecuniary diffi¬ 
culties, and his not being able to obtain an interview 
with Lieutenant Miller, then serving on board the 
Vigilant, so as to obtain from him a supply of money, 
was another of that series of spirit-subduing trials 
which failed to conquer Mr. Anderson's firmness of 
purpose. We have recurred to this reference to Lieut. 
Miller, not only because we have reason to believe that 
No. CLXXXV., Vol. YHI. 
