390 Mr. C. C. Babington on the Batrachian Ranunculi. 



Ranunculus, Linn. 



Section I. Batrachium. Fruitstalks arching. Carpels trans- 

 versely wrinkled. Petals white (with a yellow claw in all 

 our plants). 



This section includes all the species which it is now proposed 

 to consider. It constitutes the genus Batrachium of Fries ; but 

 I must be permitted to think, that there is no valid reason for 

 separating it generically from the other Ranunculi. R. scele- 

 ratus, although a true Ranunculus, has several points in common 

 with the Batrachia. It has minute seeds traversed by faint 

 transverse wrinkles, and when growing in water its lower leaves 

 float in a similar manner to those of the species of Batrachia, 

 and very closely resemble them. 



Subsection A. Submersed leaves twice or thrice trifurcate 

 with filiform segments spreading in the form of a section 

 of a sphere, rarely wanting. Receptacle hispid. 



1. R. trichophyllus (Chaix) ; submersed leaves closely trifurcate, 

 segments short rigid not collapsing into a pencil when taken 

 out of the water, no floating leaves, peduncles not narrowing 

 upwards about equalling the leaves, flowers small, pet. obovate 

 ^-7 -nerved not contiguous evanescent, stigma oblong, recep- 

 tacle oblong, carpels i-ovate laterally apiculate compressed. 



R. trichophyllus, Chaix in Till. Bauph. i. 335 ; Gren. et Godr. Fl. 

 de Fr. i. 23. 



R. pantothrix, DC. Syst. i. 235 (in part) ; Bert. Fl. Ital. v. 575. 



R. csespitosus, Godr. in Mem. Nancy ^ 1839, 30. f. 6 (the terrestrial 

 state) . 



R. capillaceus, Lloyd ! Fl. de la Loire Inf. 5 ; Godr. Fl. Lor. i. 15. 



R. aquatilis v. pantothrix, Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ. ed. 1. 11 ; Sturm, 

 Beutschl. Fl. fasc. Q7. t. 1 1 ; Fries ! Herb. Norm. ix. 27 (spe- 

 cimen). 



R. heterophyllus var. succulentum, Fries, H. N. xi. 33 (specimen) ? 



Batrachium trichophyllum, F. Schultz, Fl. Gall, et Germ, exsic. 

 805 bis & 1203 ; Van den Bosch, Prod. Fl. Batav. 5. 



Stem floating, rooting at the lower joinings, obtuse-angled, 

 hollow. Submersed leaves with filiform segments diverging 

 slightly, and when mature so rigid as not to collapse when re- 

 moved from the water : middle branch at the first fork the small- 

 est. Petioles plane-convex, short. Upper leaves sessile. When 

 growing upon mud from which the water has retired, the seg- 

 ments of the leaves are very short and thick. Floating leaves 

 always absent. Stipules large, rounded, auricled, i or |rds 

 adnate. Peduncles falling short of, or slightly exceeding the 

 leaves. Buds globular. Flowers small, star-like. Sepals 



