THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. October 7, 1850. 
Fig. 2. Ranunculus arris, a. A petal, b. Front view of a stamen, 
c. One of tlie ovaries, d. The same cut longitudinally, a. Ovule. 
£. The ovule magnified. 
These are propagated by seeds, and by division of the 
roots. 
Div. 2.—Carpels many-seeded 
Fig. 3. A. Aquilegia Canadensis, b. Carpels in a whorl, c. A single 
carpel, n. A petal, e. The seed. f. The same magnified. ° 
Tribe 4.— Hellebores. —Fig. 3. Calyx in aestivation 
imbricate. Petals in some wanting ; when present irre¬ 
gular, bilabiate, and tubular. Carpels capsular, many- 
seeded, aud opening laterally. Herbaceous plants, with 
alternate or radical leaves. 
Genera.— Psyehrophilus, Caltha, Trollius, Eranthis, 
Helleborus, Isopyrum, Enemion, Ooptis, Garidella, 
Nigella, Aquilegia, Delphinium, Aconitum. 
These are all hardy herbaceous plants, and may be 
cultivated in common garden-soil. They are propagated 
by seeds, or by division of the roots. 
Tribe 5.— Calyx in aestivation imbricate. 
Petals flat, or wanting. Carpels fdllicuiar, niimy-saeded) 
and opening; or a berry; sometimes one-seeded by 
abortion. Herbaceous plants or shrubs, with alternate 
leaves. 
Genera. —Trauttvetteria, Actsoa, Botrophis, Actino- 
phora, Cimicifuga, Xanthorrhiza, Preonia. 
These are propagated by seeds, by division of the 
roots, and by layers. 
This last tribe may be considered as almost a distinct 
family. 
Geographical Distribution. — The Ranunculaceie 
are found distributed over the whole surface of the 
globo. They are abundant in the cold and temperate 
climates of the northern hemisphere; frequent in Europe, 
from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Arctic 
regions; from the sea-shore to the snow range of the 
mountains; more rare in America, and still more so in 
temperate Asia. They are pretty numerous in the 
southern hemisphere, but rarely between the tropics, 
except at high altitudes on the sides and summits of 
mountains. 
Properties and Uses. —All the Ilanunculacese are 
more or less acrid and poisonous. This acridity, which 
exists in almost all the parts of these plants, appears to 
depend on a volatile principle, which is easily destroyed 
by the effect of boiling water, or even simply by drying. 
It is much more energetic in the roots than the exterior 
parts when it is dissipated in the air, or in the surround¬ 
ing water; although, in certain cases, even these exhibit 
it in a very high degree, as in the Monkshoods, from 
the flowers of which bees are said to have collected 
poisonous honey. Nevertheless, this destructive or inju¬ 
rious principle loses as much by drying as by ebullition, for 
which reason certain species, strongly poisonous in the 
fresh state, may serve as food to man being cooked, or 
may be given with impunity to cattle in the state of 
fodder. Thus the young shoots of Clematis vitalba are 
eaten in Piedmont, aud the leaves of Ficaria ranuncu- 
loules are used as a potherb in some parts of France. 
The Clematideas possess the acrid principle in a very 
eminent degree, perhaps even more so than either the 
Anemonem or Banunculeie. If the fresh leaves of Cle¬ 
matis vitalba are chewed, there will be found in the 
mouth a sensation of heat and smarting, and frequently 
the tongue is covered with small vesicles, which turn to 
ulcers. This taste and that action are, nevertheless, 
much less in the dried plant. If the fresh leaves bruised 
are applied to any part of the body, an active inflamma¬ 
tion ensues, followed by hard swellings, which terminate 
in ulcers; hence beggars frequently employ this as a 
means for creating artificial sores on their limbs to 
excite pity. Taken internally, the juice or extract pro¬ 
duces all the symptoms of poisoning by the acrid 
poisons. In Madagascar the C. Mauritiana is used 
instead of Cantharides. 
(To be continued.) 
A Meeting of the British Pomological Society was 
held on Thursday, the 2nd hist. Robert Hogg, Esq., 
Vice-President, in the chair. 
A new seedling Grape was received from Mr. Melville, 
gardener to the Earl of lloseberry, Dalmeny Park, ne ir 
Edinburgh. It is a cross between Black Prince and 
Black Damascus, and partakes very much of the cha¬ 
racter of the former. One of the bunches exhibited 
measured fourteen inches in length, and was remarkably 
well set. The bunch is not shouldered. The berries of 
good size and roundish, inclining to oval, but not so long 
as those of the Black Prince; skin of good texture, a 
very dark purple, almost black, and covered with bloom. 
Flesh green, tender, and melting; but as the fruit was 
not ripe, aud as it had, unfortunately, been packed in 
contiguity with moss* the true flavour could not b9 as- 
