They have done as worldlings do,
Stolen praise that should be thine,
Little humble Celandine.
In these verses, and several others in the same strain, Wordsworth sings the praises of the pretty little British plant called pilewort, or the lesser celandine. This plant botanists formerly included in the genus Ranunculus, but De Candolle, finding that instead of having five sepals and five petals like all the kinds of Ranunculus, it has three sepals, and nine petals, which are narrow and pointed, instead of being broad and somewhat rounded, made it into a new genus under the name of Ficaria ranunculoides—its old name having been Ranunculus Ficaria. Its flowers are of a bright yellow, like those of the buttercup, and of the same delicate texture and glossy surface; but they are distinguished, not only as I have just observed, by having nine narrow pointed petals, and only three sepals, but by the leaves, which are roundish and shining, and not stem-clasping. These peculiarities are so striking, that I knew the Ficaria the first time I saw it in a growing state, merely from having read a description of it. Even when not in flower it may be known, by its roundish smooth leaves, and by the petioles or footstalks of its leaves being the same throughout; whereas those of all the kinds of Ranunculus are dilated at the base, to enable them to enfold the stem.
THE GENUS PÆONIA.
Fig. 6.—Flower of the male Peony, with detached carpel and stamen.