Tas. 4625. 
RANUNCULUS cortusrouivs. 
Cortusa-leaved Ranunculus, or Buttercup. 
Nat. Ord. RanuncuLacrkm.—PoLyANDRIA POLYGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tan. 4585.) 
Ranuncutus (§ Ranunculastrum) cortusefolius; elatus, foliis cauleque pilosis 
radicalibus subcordato-reniformibus 3-5-lobatis subradiatim venosis, lobis 
Inciso-lobulatis dentatisque, caulinis subsessilibus 3—5-partitis, fioralibus 
__lanceolatis, caule apice ramoso-corymboso, calyce patentissimo, sepalis extus 
villosis, fructu oblongo-globoso, acheniis stylo uncinato terminatis. 
RaNUNcULUs cortusefolius. Willd. Enwn. p. 588. Deless. Ic. Select.v. 1. ¢. 36. 
De Cand. Prodr. v. 1. p. 264. Webb, Hist. Nat. Canar. Bot.v. 1. p. 8. Spreng. 
Syst. Veget. v. 2. p. 647. 
Ranuncutvs Teneriffe. Pers. Syn. v. 2. p. 108. 
RaNnUncuLvs grandifolius. Lowe, Prim. Faun. et Fl. Mad. p. 38. (not Mey.) 
Unquestionably the handsomest of all the Buttercups yet 
known to botanists. The flowers are not only large, more than 
two inches across, but of a singularly glossy yellow colour; and 
although a native as it would seem exclusively of the Canary Islands 
and of Madeira, it is quite hardy. In the latter country Ribeira 
Frio seems to be the only locality: in the former Mr. Webb de- 
scribes it as inhabiting grassy banks in the woody districts. It 
flowers during the summer months. To the synonyms above 
given Sprengel adds that of 2. heucherefolius, Presl, Fl. Sicul. 
Descr. Root grumose, formed of thick, fleshy, fasciculated 
fibres. Stem two to four feet high, terete, and, as well as the 
foliage, hairy with rather pilose hairs, which are dilated -at the 
base. Radical leaves on long hairy petioles, large, between or- 
bicular and reniform, three- to five-lobed ; Jobes again divided and 
cut into several acute lobules, or large sharp teeth, cut and ser- 
rated, the whole somewhat radiately and dichotomously veined ; 
upper leaves gradually smaller, sessile, five- to three-partite, the 
segments lanceolate, coarsely serrated, with parallel veins. Flowers 
terminal, between cymose and paniculate. Petioles terete. 
JANUARY Ist, 1852. 
