4t- 



-I H -t--t- Ht- 



186 HOW TO STUDY PLANTS. [LESSON 30. 



538. Under this are 13 species (from No. 3 to No. 15) arranged 

 under three further subdivisions. The first, marked -n-, having 

 the leaves all undivided, does not answer. The second, marked 



, will not do, having the root-leaves undivided. The third, 

 , answers to our plant. Under it is yet a further sub- 

 division (marked a and &) : the first () does not answer, having 

 the petals pale and not exceeding the calyx ; the other (b) does 

 answer well. This comprises four species, to one of which our plant 

 must belong, a comparison will soon determine which. To save 

 labor in the comparison, some of the easiest and most certain marks 

 are printed in italics in the description. We read the italics first, find 

 that numbers 12, 13, and 14 are all excluded, are brought therefore 

 to No. 15, ascertain that the whole description agrees very well, and 

 conclude that our plant is the Bulbous Croivfoot or Buttercup, called 

 by botanists RANUNCULUS BULBOSUS. 



539. This species flowers in spring and the early part of summer, 

 and was introduced from Europe into Eastern New England and 

 New York, but is rarely met with in the interior of the country. 

 Later in the season, however, another and taller species, otherwise 

 much like it, is everywhere common in meadows and low pastures, 

 the Ranunculus acris, which answers just as well for this illustra- 

 tion. There is also the wild Creeping Crowfoot, Ranunculus repens 

 (No. 13), very common in most places; at the opening of spring the 

 Early Crowfoot, R. fascicularis, makes its appearance ; and several 

 others occur in the course of the season. Having ascertained the 

 genus from one species, the student cannot fail to recognize it again 

 at a glance, in other species, whenever they are met with. 



540. Returning to the species we have been occupied with, viz. R. 

 bulbosus, we note the letter L. following the name. This stands for 

 Linnaeus, the author who first described the plant under this name. 

 Then come the common or English names ; then the specific char- 

 acter ; after this, the station where the plant grows, and the part of 

 the country in which it occurs. This is followed by the time of blos- 

 soming (from May to July) ; and then by some general descriptive 

 remarks. The expression " Nat. from En. " means that the species 

 is a naturalized emigrant from Europe, and is not original to this 

 country. These and other abbreviations used in botanical descrip- 

 tions are explained in the Preface to the Manual of Botany. 



