400 Mr. C. C. Babinffton on the Batrachian Ranunculi. 



^to 



trifurcate; segments long, slender, filiform. Floating and 

 emerged leaves deeply trifid, forming about f tbs of a circle ; the 

 lateral segments with 3, the central with 2-4 crenatures, the 

 outer edge of the lateral segments rounded in their upper half, 

 but straight below. Upper stipules free. Buds globular. 

 Sepals ovate, dark green tinged with purple, the whitish margin 

 diaphanous. Petals very small, slightly exceeding the sepals, 

 rather acute, narrowed into a claw, pinkish-white, yellowish 

 below, with 3 distant nerves. Nectary roundish, its border a little 

 thickened only below. Stamens 5-10. Style straight, placed 

 nearly upon the middle of the end of the ovary. Carpels very 

 blunt, glabrous ; inner edge rounded. Receptacle globose. 



This plant and R. ololeucos (which has not as yet been found 

 in Britain) are distinguished by having very slightly adnate 

 stipules, much inflated carpels having a much rounded inner 

 edge, and minute stigmas. The slender base of the long 

 subulate deciduous style also is a mark of R. tripartitus. In 

 R. ololeucos the style is persistent, sickle-shaped, and thickened 

 at the base, the petals are much larger and wholly white (in all 

 our species of Batrachian Ranunculi they are more or less yellow 

 at the base), and the peduncles much -exceed the leaves. 



Flowering from May to August. 



Mr. H. C. Watson discovered this plant on Esher Common in 

 Surrey. I have found it between Haverfordwest and Robeston 

 in Pembrokeshire. 



It is probable that by descending the little streamlets in which 

 this plant has been found until they increase in size and depth, 

 the form producing submersed leaves will be found. My valued 

 friend Mr. Borrer has given to me a specimen grown in deep 

 water in his garden which has loosely twice trifurcate leaves with 

 long narrowly linear segments. Such leaves are found inter- 

 posed between the capillarly divided and the subpeltate leaves 

 of several of these Ranunculi, for instance in R. Baudotii. It is 

 scarcely necessary to remind botanists, that the form of the style 

 is not to be seen upon dried specimens, for it shrinks so much 

 as in the dry state to appear as if it were broadest at the base. 

 I possess a specimen, gathered by my friend Mr. F. Townsend 

 near Tunbridge Wells, which probably, but not quite certainly, 

 belongs to R. tripartitus. It appears to have grown in rather 

 deep water, but does not now possess any of the submersed 

 leaves. It has no petals remaining, and may be R. ololeucos. 



Subsection B. Submersed leaves not like those of Sub- 

 section A. Receptacle hispid. 



9. R. circinatus (Sibth.) ; leaves all submersed and sessile tri- 

 furcate with repeatedly and very closely forked rigid segments 



