Genus 20. 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



Ill 



19. Ranunculus sceleratus L. Celery-leaved Crowfoot. Fig. 1913. 



Ranunculus sceleratus L. Sp. PI. 551. 

 R, eremogenes Greene, Erythea 4: 121, 



1753- 

 1896. 



Stout, glabrous, or nearly so, 6'-2 high, 

 freely branching, stem hollow, sometimes li' 

 thick. Basal leaves thick, 3-5-lobed, on long 

 and broad petioles, the blade l'-2' broad, reni- 

 form or cordate, those of the stem petioled or 

 the upper sessile, deeply lobed or divided, the 

 lobes obtuse, cuneate-oblong or linear, several- 

 toothed or entire ; flowers yellow, numerous, 

 3"-4" broad, the petals about equalling the 

 calyx; head of fruit oblong or cylindric, 4"-6" 

 long; achenes ' long, very numerous, merely 

 apiculate. 



In swamps and wet ditches, New Brunswick to 

 Florida, abundant along the coast, and locally 

 westward to North Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska, 

 extending to Alberta, New Mexico and Califor- 

 nia, preferring saline or alkaline situations. Also 

 in Europe and Asia. Ditch- or marsh-crowfoot. 

 Biting- or cursed-crowfoot. Water-celery. Blister- 

 wort. Consists of several races. April-Aug. 



20. Ranunculus recurvatus Poir. Hooked 

 or Rough Crowfoot. Fig. 1914. 



R, recurvatus Poir. in Lam. Encycl. 6: 125. 1804. 



Erect, 6'-2 high, usually hirsute, branching. 

 Leaves all petioled, broadly reniform, 2'-3' wide, 

 deeply 3-cleft, the divisions broadly cuneate, 

 acute, toothed and lobed ; flowers light yellow, 

 4"-5" broad, the petals shorter than or equalling 

 the reflexed calyx ; head of fruit globose, 6" 

 wide; achenes compressed, margined, tipped with 

 a recurved hooked beak of one-half their length. 



In woods. Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to 

 Florida, Alabama, Missouri and Kansas. Ascends 

 to 4200 ft. in North Carolina. April-June. 



21. Ranunculus acris L. Tall or 

 jMeadow Buttercup. Fig. 1915. 



Ranunculus acris L. Sp. PI. 554. 175J. 



Erect, hairy, branched above, 2-3'' high ; 

 roots fibrous. Basal leaves tufted, petioled, 

 3-7-divided, the divisions sessile and cleft 

 into numerous linear to obovate mainly 

 acute lobes ; upper leaves short-petioled 

 and merely 3-parted, distant; flowers nu- 

 merous, bright yellow, about l' broad; 

 petals twice or thrice the length of the 

 spreading calyx, obovate ; head of fruit 

 globose, 6"-y" broad ; achenes compressed, 

 short-beaked. 



In fields and meadows, Newfoundland to 

 Virginia, British Columbia and Missouri. 

 Bermuda, Naturalized from Europe. Stem 

 sometimes nearly glabrous. Yellow gowan. 

 Gold-knops. Butter-rose, -cresses or -daisy. 

 Horse-gold. Bachelor's-buttons. Blister-plant. 

 May-Sept. 



