10 i. RANUNCULACEiE (oliver). [Ranunculus. 



teristic of the species, but the smooth-carpelled forms are connected by inter- 

 mediates, in which the minute tubercles are few or nearly solitary. Beak of 

 the achenes stout, slightly or not at all hooked. — R. membranaceus, Fresen. 

 in Mus. Senck. ii. 207 (ex descr.). R. striates, Hochst. ; llich. Fl. Abyss. 

 i. 8. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper ! Parkyns ! 

 Lower Guinea. Huilla, Angola, Dr. Welwitsch ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Marenga M'khali (6° 44' S. lat.), Speke and Grant! Zarabezia, 

 Dr. Kirk ! 



Var. externa, Hook. f. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vi. 5. A weak, sometimes rooting variety, 

 with the lower leaflets on rather long petiolules ; the achenes much fewer, nearly or -quite 

 smooth, with a subulate, uncinate beak. Probably a distinct species. It is nearly allied to 

 a species from Madagascar in the Kew herbarium. — Clarence Peak, Fernando Po, 8500 ft., 

 Mann ! 



3. R. simensis, Fresen. in Mus. Senck. ii. 269. Erect or ascending 

 from a tufted rootstock, giving off strong fibrous roots below, from 3 in. to 

 1 or 2 ft. high, with few scattered hairs. Leaves sparsely pilose or glabres- 

 cent ; lobes obtuse. Peduncles with adpressed hairs. Sepals spreading, j 

 Head of achenes short, rather broader than long ; achenes compressed, gla- 

 brous, with a rather short, triangular-subulate, more or less hooked beak. — 

 R. Schimperianus, Hochst. ; Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 4. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper! 



Var. stagnalis (R. stagnalis, Hochst.; Rich. PI. Abyss, i. 5). Leaves pinnately- or pal- 

 mately-partite; segments 3 -fid or incised, with lanceolate or oblong teeth. Early flowers 

 small, on rather stout curved lateral peduncles. — Abyssinia, Schimper ! 



4. R. oligocarpus, Hochst.; Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 5. A low, diffuse 

 herb, with long, rather fleshy, tapering root-fibres and weak spreading stems, 

 3-12 in. long. Teeth of the 3-fid radical leaves rather acute or obtuse, 

 sparsely pilose or glabrescent. Peduncles with loose, spreading hairs. Car- 

 pels few, compressed, very shortly beaked. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper ! 



5. R. tembensis, Fresen. in Mus. Senck. ii. 271. Low plant with a 

 tufted rootstock, giving off numerous strong fibres below, more or less pilose, 

 with loose spreading hairs. Lobes of the leaves scarcely acute, loosely 

 pilose. Petals rather narrow, oblanceolate, numerous. Carpels more or less 

 compressed, smooth, glabrous, with a flattened, trianaular-subvdate, acute, 

 scarcely hooked beak.—/?, dertropodius, Steud. ; Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 5. 

 (? R. stenocarpus, Steud. ; Rich. 1. c. 6). 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper! 



I have not seen Fresenius's specimens, but his description is sufficiently detailed to enable 

 me to identify at least one of the synonyms quoted satisfactorily. 



6. R. oreophytus, Delile in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2. xx. 89. Herb of 

 2 or 3 inches. Leaves radical, pinnatipartite ; lateral segments in 3-4 pairs, 

 more or less ovate, each usually with a lateral tooth on each side, subsessile; 

 hairs few and long or none. Scape very short, not exceeding the leaves. 

 Petals 5, obovate-oblong. Fruit undescribed.— Ferret et Galinier, Vflf- 

 Abyss. iu. 87 ; Atlas Bot. 13. R. tenuirostris, Steud. in Schimp. Herb. 

 Abyss., fide Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 4. 



