10. Ranunculus parviflonis L. 



Hirsute terrestrial annual; stems erect, not rooting, 1-3 dm. long, freely 

 branching and diffuse, not fistulous, thinly hirsute; basal leaves with petioles 

 3-6 cm. long, simple, reniform. 1.5-2 cm. long, 2-2.5 cm. broad, 3-parted or 

 -divided and again lobed, cordate at base, rounded at apex, the ultimate lobes 

 acute, hirsute with fine hairs, pilose, the stipular leaf bases about 1 cm. long; 

 cauline leaves alternate, short-petioled, similar to the basal, the bracts 3-parted; 

 pedicels 1-4 mm. long in flower, 3-18 mm. long in fruit, pubescent; sepals 

 greenish-yellow, spreading, narrowly ovate, about 1 mm. long, less than 1 mm. 

 broad, densely pubescent, promptly deciduous: petals 5, yellow, narrowly elliptic, 

 1-2 mm. long, less than 1 mm. broad, the truncate nectary scale glabrous and 

 free laterally; stamens about 10; achenes 10 to 20 in a globose head and about 

 4 mm. in diameter, obovate. 1.5 mm. long, with reddish-brown papillae covering 

 both faces of the pericarp which are produced into minute slender hooks, the 

 margin strongly marked, the deltoid beak recurved and 0.5 mm. long; receptacle 

 globose, less than 1 mm. long in flower, 1-1.3 mm. long in fruit, glabrous. 



On moist hardwood slopes, in grassy copses and along ditches in Okla. (Water- 

 fall) and in e. fourth of Tex., Mar.-June; a nat. of the Old World that is 

 naturalized in various parts of N.A. 



11. Ranunculus Sardous Crantz. 



Hirsute terrestrial perennial with filiform roots; stems suberect, not rooting, 

 1-5 dm. long, branching freely, not fistulous, hirsute; basal leaves with hirsute 

 petioles 3-16 cm. long, pinnately compound, broadly cordate in outline, 2-3 

 cm. long, 2-2.5 cm. broad, the leaflets parted and lobed, the ultimate segments 

 deltoid, pubescent, cordate to truncate at base, rounded at apex, appressed- 

 pubescent, the stipular leaf bases 1—1.5 cm. long; cauline leaves alternate, the 

 bracts of about 3 linear divisions, sessile; pedicels 3-5 cm. long in flower. 2-6 

 cm. long in fruit, thinly appressed-hairy; sepals greenish-yellow, reflexed, ovate- 

 attenuate, 3-5 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. broad, pilose, promptly deciduous; petals 5, 

 yellow, 8-9 mm. long. 5-7 mm. broad, the truncate nectary scale glabrous and 

 free laterally; stamens 25 to 50; achenes 12 to 25 in a subglobose head 4-6 mm. 

 long and 5-8 mm. in diameter, nearly circular, 2-3 mm. long, usually sparsely 

 papillate or some achenes of the same plant smooth, glabrous, the margin strongly 

 marked, the deltoid beak 0.3 mm. long and curved at the tip; receptacle pyri- 

 form, 1 mm. long in flower, 2 mm. long in fruit, covered with long white hairs. 



Moist grassy slopes and in wet soil of swales, in e. Tex., Apr.-June; a nat. 

 of the Old World naturalized mostly about seaports in N. A. 



12. Ranunculus muricatus L. Spring buttercup. Fig. 459. 



Glabrous terrestrial annual or sometimes perennial; stems reclining or erect, 

 not rooting, 2-5 dm. long, 2-5 mm. in diameter, freely branching, not markedly 

 fistulous; basal leaves with petioles 4-15 cm. long, simple, broadly cordate to 

 reniform or semicircular, 2-5 cm. long, 2-6 cm. broad, deeply 3-parted, the 

 parts again shallowly crenately lobed, cordate to truncate at base, rounded at 

 apex, the stipular leaf bases 1 or 2 cm. long; cauline leaves alternate, similar to 

 the basal; pedicels 5-20 mm. long in flower, 2-6 cm. long in fruit, glabrous; 

 sepals greenish, spreading, ovate, mucronate, 4—7 mm. long, 2—3 mm. broad, with 

 a few bristles, promptly deciduous; petals 5, yellow, obovate, 5-8 mm. long, 3-4 

 mm. broad, the truncate nectary scale glabrous and forming a pocket that is 

 much narrower than the adjacent part of the petal; stamens few; achenes 10 to 20 

 in a globose cluster 1-1.3 cm. in diameter, obovate, about 5.5 mm. long, covered 

 with stout curved spines, glabrous, the margin very prominent, keeled, spineless, 

 produced into the stout falcate beak 2-2.5 mm. long; receptacle subglobose, 



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