36 
spreading. This plant is very acrid and dangerous. Curtis 
says, that even pulling up the plant, and carrying it to some little 
distance, has produced a considerable inflammation in the palm 
of the hand : that cattle in general will not eat it ; yet that some- 
times when they are turned hungry into a new field of grass, or 
have but a small spot to range in, they will feed on it, and hence 
their mouths have become sore and blistered. According to 
Linnzeus, sheep and goats eat it; but kine, horses, and swine 
refuse it. When made into hay it loses its acrid quality, but 
then it seems to be too stalky and hard to afford much nourish- 
ment ; if it be of any use it must be to correct by its warmth the 
insipidity of grasses. It is called vulgarly butter-flower, or butter- 
cup, as well as R. repens and R. bulbdsus, under a notion that 
the yellow colour of butter is owing to these plants. It is rich- 
ness of the pasture that communicates this colour and not these 
flowers, which the cattle seldom eat. 
Var. B, miltiplex (flowers double). %. H. Curt. bot. mag. 
t. 215. This plant is cultivated in gardens under the name of 
Yellow Bachelor's buttons. 
Var. y, sylvdticus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 278.) petioles and leaves 
velvety-villous on the under surface. %. H. Native of Europe 
in woods. R. sylvaticus, Thuil. fl. par. ed. 2. vol. 1. p. 276. 
R. lanuginosus, 3. Fl. fr. ed. 3. vol. 4. p. 899. This variety is 
perhaps a proper species ; it is much larger than the var. a, and 
the flowers more numerous, but smaller, and somewhat corym- 
bose. 
Var. ò multifidus (D. C. 1. c.) lobes of leaves deeply multifid. 
Y. H. R. polyanthemus, Lob. icon. 686. f. 1. This plant has 
the appearance of R. polydnthemus, in the leaves being many- 
parted, but it is more closely allied to R. acris, in the carpels 
being terminated by straight points, not almost awnless, as well 
as in the stem being covered with pressed pubescence, not pilose. 
Acrid, or Upright meadow Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Pi. 2 ft. 
109 R. Bru'tivs (Tenore. fl. neap. prod. suppl. 1. p. 61.) 
leaves pubescent 3-5-parted, with 3-parted partitions, and lan- 
ceolate bifid lobes; stem erect, villous, many-flowered ;_ calyx 
pressed, one-half shorter than the petals. %.H. Native of 
Naples on Mount Pollino. Tenore. fl. neap. 1. t. 50. Like R. 
dcris, but differing in the segments of the leaves being broader 
and serrated, smoothish, not villous, as well as in the flowers 
being twice the size. It differs from R. polydnthemus in the 
leaves being digitately-parted, smoothish, and in the peduncles 
being round and even, not striated. 
Brutian Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1823. Pl. 1 to 2 feet. 
110 R. Sreve'nr (Bess. enum. volhy. no. 683.) leaves 3-5- 
parted, with wedge-shaped deeply toothed trifid segments, those 
of the upper ones linear ; root with numerous fibres ; stem almost 
naked; peduncles round; calyx hairy, spreading; stigmas 
spreading. 2%. H. Native of Volhynia and Podolia in meadows. 
Like R. acris. 
Steven’s Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1819. Pl. 1 to 2 feet. 
111 R. Cauca’sicus (Bieb. fl. cauc. 2. p. 27.) radical leaves 
on long stalks, somewhat pubescent, 3-parted, with deeply 
toothed trifid lobes; stem leaves stalked, ternate, the uppermost 
ones with linear lobes ; stem erect, fibrous at the neck ; pedicels 
round ; calyx spreading. %. H. Native of Caucasus in sub- 
alpine situations, On grassy hills about Narza frequent. In 
habit like R. àcris, but with rather smaller flowers. Roots 
fibrous, with black fibres rising from the base. Carpels com- 
pressed, smooth, with hooked beaks. 
Laucasian Crow . Fi. Ju. 1 a 
Caucasian Cro foot. Fl ac Jul. Clt. 1820. Pl. 1} to 2 feet. 
us (Brot. fl. lus. 2. p. 367.) radical leaves 3-5- 
parted ; lobes many-cleft; lower cauline leaves stalked, 3- 
parted, upper ones linear; stem erect, solid, not fistular, and is, 
as well as the round peduncles, villous ; calyx spreading. Y. H. 
Native of Portugal, at the bottom of hills near Coimbra and 
RANUNCULACE. XIV. Ranuncvtus. 
elsewhere in Biera. R. cherophyllos, var. e, Bir. ren. 42. 
Very nearly allied to R. àcris. Root fascicled white. Stem 
clothed with subrufous hairs. Carpels compressed, acuminated. 
Rufous-haired Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Pl. 1 to 13 foot. 
113 R. roLYA’NTHEMUS (Lin. spec. 779.) leaves 3-5-palmate- 
parted, with deeply multifid partitions and linear lobes; stem erect, 
many-flowered, and is, as well as the petioles, covered with spread- 
ing pili; peduncles furrowed; calyx hairy; carpels almost awnless. 
u.H. Native of Holland, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Sweden, 
Norway, in bushy places, coppices, and woods. R. polyanthos, 
Neck. Gallop. 240. R. napellifolius, Crantz. austr. 2. p. 90. t. 4. 
f.1.? R. multiflorus, Gilib. in ust. del. 2. p. 418. Similar to R. 
acris, var. y, but differs in the leaves being much more dissected 
into narrower linear lobes, which are not toothed on the margins ; 
stem and petioles more hairy; peduncles furrowed, not round; 
calyx more hispid, as well as in the ovaries being about 20, not 
50. 
Many-flowered Crowfoot. Fl. May, Ju. Clt. 1796. Pl. 1 to 2 ft. 
114 R. nemordsus (D.C. syst. 1. p. 280.) radical leaves 3-5- 
cleft beyond the middle into wedge-shaped lobes, which are again 
divided into lobules, which are toothed at the apex ; stem erect 
and is, as well as the petioles, covered with spreading hairs ; pe- 
duncles furrowed ; carpels terminated by hooked awns. 2. H. 
Native of Switzerland and France in woods. Like R. polydn- 
themus. | 
Var. a, multiflorus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 280.) stem many-flowered ; 
upper leaves divided into entire linear lobes. 2%.H. Native of 
mountains at the foot of the Alps of Jura. R. poly4nthemus 
Sut. fl. helv. 1. p. 341. Habit of A. deris. 
Var. B, pauciflorus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 280.) stem 1-3-flowered ; 
upper leaves somewhat lobed and deeply toothed, uppermost ones 
small. Y%.H. Native of Vallais, Cevennes, Pyrenees, in sub- 
alpine situations. R. dureus Schleich. pl. helv. R. villdsus. St. 
Amand. fl. agr. 227. bouq. t.5. Habit of R. montdnus. 
Grove Crowfoot. Fl. May, Jul. Clt. 1810. Pl. 1 to 2 feet. 
115 R. Breynza‘nus (Crantz. aust. ex Spreng. syst. 2. p. 654.) 
stem erect, many-flowered, and is, as well as the leaves, villous ; 
radical leaves palmate, 3-5-parted ; lobes obovate-oblong, toothed ; 
floral leaves quite entire ; peduncles furrowed ; calyx spreading; 
carpels with hooked points. 2.H. Native of the south of 
Europe in subalpine situations. R. nemordsus var. B, D. C. syst. 
1, p. 280. prod. 37 ? 
Breynius’s Crowfoot. Fl. May. July. Clt.? Pl. 1 foot. 
116 R. tanvueinosus (Lin. spec. 779.) leaves trifid, silky, 
with broad toothed rather cut lobes; stem erect, many-flowered, 
and is, as well as the petioles, clothed with reflexed hairs; pe- 
duncles round; carpels flat, terminated by hooked awns. 2. H. 
Native of Montpelier, Dauphiny, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, 
Denmark, Hungary, Tauria, Greece, in wooded mountains. Fl. 
dan. t. 397. Smith fl. grec. t. 519. A very distinct species 
from its congeners in the leaves being much broader and silky on 
both surfaces with pressed hairs. 
Var. B, geraniifodlius (D. C. syst. 1. p. 281.) upper leaves 
3-parted into oblong acuminate coarsely serrated lobes. 4%. H. 
R. montànus subhirsùtus, &e. C. Bauh. pin. 182. Tourn. 
inst. 291. 
Var. y, parvulus (D. C. prod. 1. p. 37.) stem 1-2-flowered ; 
leaves very minute. .H. Native of the Alps of Jura. 
Var. ò, Constantinopolitànus (D. Urv. enum. pl. arch. no. 476.) 
radical leaves very large, on very long footstalks, trifid, with 
broad cut lobes, upper ones jagged, with linear segments all silky 
lanuginous ; stem erect, lanuginous, many-flowered ; calyx re- 
flexed ; carpels flat, somewhat orbicular, terminated by hooked 
quent Y.H. Native in hedges about Constantinople, fre- 
ent. 
Woolly-leaved Crowfoot. Fl. Ju. Jul. Clt. 1683. Pl. 1 to 14 ft 
