crowfoot; a genus of the polygamy order, belonging to the polyandria class of plants.

Species. There are near 40 different species of this genus, six or eight of which claim general esteem as flowery plants for ornamenting the gardens, and a great number are common weeds in the fields, waters, and pasture ground, not having merit for garden culture. Of the garden kinds, the principal sort is the Asiatic or Turkey and Persian ranunculus, which comprises many hundred varieties of large, double, most beautiful flowers of various colours; but several other species having varieties with fine double flowers, make a good appearance in a collection, though as those of each species consist only of one colour, some white, others yellow, they are inferior to the Asiatic ranunculus, which is large, and diversified a thousand ways in rich colours, in different varieties. However, all the garden kinds in general, effect a very agreeable diversity in assemblage in the flower compartments, &c., and they being all very hardy, succeed in any open beds and borders, &c.

Culture. The Asiatic species in all its varieties will succeed in any light, rich, garden earth; but the florists often prepare a particular compost for the fine varieties, consisting of good garden-mould or pasture-earth, sward and all, a fourth-part of rotted cow-dung, and the like portion of sea-ford; and with this they prepare beds four feet wide and two deep: however, in default of such compost, use beds of any good light earth of your garden; or, if necessary, it may be made light and rich with a portion of drift-sand and and rotten dung, cow-dung is most commonly recommended; but they will also thrive in beds of well-wrought kitchen-garden earth, and they often prosper well in the common flower-borders.

The season for planting the roots is both in autumn and spring; the autumn plantings generally flower stronger and sooner by a month at least, and are succeeded by the spring planting in May and June. Perform the autumnal planting in October, and early part of November, but some plant towards the latter end of September in order to have a very early bloom; but those planted in that month and beginning of October often come up with rank leaves soon after, in winter, so as to require protection in hard frosts; those however planted about the middle or latter end of October, and beginning of November, rarely shoot up strong till towards spring, and will not require so much care of covering during winter; and the spring planting may be performed the end of January or beginning of February, or as soon as the weather is settled; they will not require any trouble of covering, and will succeed the autumnal plants regularly in bloom, and will flower in good perfection. Thus by two or three different plantings you may obtain a succession of these beautiful flowers in constant bloom from April till the middle of June; but the autumnal plants, for the general part, not only flower stronger, but the roots increase more in size, and furnish the best offsets for propagation; it is, however, proper to plant both in spring and autumn.

Prepare for the choicest sorts, four-feet beds of light earth, and rake the surface smooth; then plant the roots in rows lengthwise the beds, either by drilling them in two inches deep, and six inches distance in the row, and the rows six or eight asunder; or may plant them by bedding-in, or by dibble-planting, the same depth and distance.

Those designed for the borders should be planted generally towards the spring, in little clumps or patches, three, four, or five roots in each, putting them in either with a dibble or trowel, two or three inches deep, and three or four asunder in each patch, and the patches from about three to five or ten feet distance, placing them rather forward in the border.

Propagation: All the varieties of the Asiatic ranunculus propagate abundantly by off-sets from the root, and new varieties are gained by seed.—1. By off-sets. The time for separating the off-sets is in summer when the flower is past, and the leaves and stalks are withered; then taking up all the roots in dry weather, separate the off-sets from each main root, and after drying the whole gradually in some shady airy room, put them up in bags till the autumn and spring seasons of planting; then plant them as before, placing all the off-sets in separate beds; many of them will blow the first year, but in the second they will all flower in good perfection.—2. By seed. Save a quantity of seed from the finest semi-double flowers, and sow it either in August, or in March or April, though, to save trouble of winter-covering, some prefer the spring; it should be sowed in light rich mould, either in pots or in an east border, drawing very shallow flat drills five or six inches asunder, in which sow the seeds thinly, and cover them lightly with earth, giving frequent refreshments of water in dry weather, and in a month or six weeks the plants will rise with Rapacious, small leaves; observing to continue the light waterings in dry weather, to preserve the soil moist during their summer's growth to increase the size of the roots; and in June when the leaves decay, take up the roots and preserve them till the season for planting, then plant them in common beds, as before directed, and they will flower the spring following, when all the doubles of good properties should be marked, and the singles thrown away.

The juice of many species of ranunculus is so acid as to raise blisters on the skin, and yet the roots may be eaten with safety when boiled.