The San Francisco call., 1910-10-09

The starry bunch Of green and gold, .
hut something warm and fresh will start
Eliza Cook.
The rich buttcrcrp
It's tiny polished urn holds mp,
Filled with ripe summer to the edge
Buttercup is the pet name for the
bright little flower which the Hermit
of walden" has named the gold of the
meadow The family name OF the
flower is crowsfoot-which, like most
surnames, had its origin in something
especially appropriate to the person
named. In this case il was shaped
something like crows foot.
The proper name Of the flower is
ranunculus. 1t was given to 1T In very
ancient times because 1t SO often grew
in places frequented by frogs. Ranun-
means frog.
Another reason for giving it that
name is beautifully told by Herrick,
the English poet. Ranunculus was
Libian youth, who was noted for his
melodious voice and his gorgeous at
tire, for he dressed altogether in bright
yellow silk. He sang SO sweetly that
and he himself would forget that any
one was listening to him. One day
when he was singing to a group of
wood nymphs he became so entranced
from his own music that he expired in
ecstasy" and Orphcus transformed him
into the brilliant little flower that bears
his name.
THE "CONvIvIAL PLANT'
One variety Of the ranunculus is sup
l.xr
Pliny as the "convivial plant" or
Laughing leaves" which. when mixed
with wine and myrrh and taken as a
drink caused strange visions to pre-
sent themselves, which would excite
the most inordinate laughter, and often
resulted in death from commissions.
The only remedy, he says, for this
singular condition was to dissolve pine
apple kernels with pepper in wine
from the date tree.
The plant also has powerful caustic
properties, and it is said that il the
leaves are bruised and applied to the
skin blisters like those produced by
the action Of fire will be raised. This
severe remedy was employed by the
ancients in cases of leprosy, and for
removing birth marks and was some
times resorted to by beggars to produce
sores upon their limbs. in order to ex-
cite sympathy. The root was also
reputed TO be a certain cure Tor In
sanity, il gathered at the wane of the
moon, wrapped in linen cloth, and
suspended around the neck of the per-
son affected.
Cattle will not eat the plant. If
by accident they happen to get it a
blistered mouth will be the result.
TURKS 3sDISCOvERED- IT
The Turks paid especial attention to
the cultivation of the buttercup. Long
before it was noticed in other parts OF
Europe one Of their vixiers saw it
growing among the grasses Of the fields
and caused 1t to be transplanted to
the gardens of the seraglio where it
attracted the attention of the sultan
He ordered as many varieties as pos
sible to be collected in the seraglio
gardens and carefully guarded-and it
was only through bribery that some
varieties at last found their way into
other parts of Europe.
The buttercup is a social flower IT
shuns the gloom and shadow of the
wood and f1ourishes in the sunshine.
and never thrives far from the habita
tion Of man. No flower except the
daisy is so closely associated with
childhood.
THE STORY OF BOYS SEARCH
When Iris was made the messenger
for the gods, the sun and the ocean
built bridge for her Of beautiful COL
ors. One end rested in the sky and the
other was fastened to the earth by