Genus 22. 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



117 



22. FICARIA [Rupp.] Huds. Fl. Angl. 213. 1762. 



Glabrous slightly fleshy perennial herbs, with thickened tuberous roots, branched or 

 simple spreading or erect stems, petioled entire or toothed cordate leaves, and large solitary 

 yellow terminal or axillary flowers. Sepals 3 or sometimes 5, deciduous. Petals 7-12 (com- 

 monly 8), yellow, or red at the base, bearing a small pit and scale at the base of the blade. 

 Stamens and pistils numerous. Achenes slightly compressed, blunt, not wrinkled nor ribbed. 

 Cotyledon only one. [Latin, fig, from the fig-like thickened roots.] 



About 4 species, natives of the Old World. Type species : Ficaria verna Huds. 



I. Ficaria Ficaria (L.) Karst. 



Lesser Celandine. Fig. 1930. 



Ranunculus Ficaria L. Sp. PI. 550. 1753. 



F. verna Huds. Fl. Angl. 214. 1762. 



F, ranunculoides Moench, Meth. 215. 1794. 



Glabrous, flowering stems scapose, 

 4'-5' high, bearing i or 2 leaves or 

 naked, erect from large fleshy thick- 

 ened roots. Leaves ovate, cordate, 

 obtuse, crenate, somewhat fleshy, on 

 broad petioles, the blade l'-2' long; 

 flowers yellow, i' broad; sepals 3; 

 petals 8 or 9; head of fruit globose, 

 i' broad ; carpels beakless, truncate. 



Massachusetts to the District of Colum- 

 bia. Fugitive from Europe, where it is a 

 common pasture weed, occurring also in 

 western Asia. Pilewort. Grain. Figwort- 

 buttercup. Golden guineas. Golden cup. 

 April-May. 



Cyrtorhyncha ranunculina Nutt., of 

 Wyoming and Colorado, admitted into our 

 first edition as also of Nebraska, is here 

 omitted, as the specimens so determined, 

 and recorded in the " Catalogue of Ne- 

 braska Plants." prove, on examination, to 

 be Ranunculus Jcli^Iiinifolius Torr. 



23. HALERPESTES Greene, Pittonia 4: 207. 1900. 



Perennial herbs, with crenate dentate or lobed long-petioled leaves, and small yellow 

 flowers, solitary or 2-7 together on scapes or scape-like peduncles. Sepals usually S, spread- 

 ing, tardily deciduous. Petals 5-12, yellow, each bearing a sinall nectar-pit and scale near 

 the base. Stamens and pistils numerous. Head of fruit oblong, oval or subglobose. Achenes 

 compressed, sometimes swollen, longitudinally striate, without a hard coat. [Greek, coastal 

 creeper.] 



Two species, the following typical one of North America, Asia and southern South America, 

 the other Asiatic. 



I. Halerpestes Cymbalaria (Pttrsh) Greene. Seaside Crowfoot. Fig. 1931. 



Ranunculus Cymbalaria Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 392. 1814. 

 O.rygraj'Iiis Cymbalaria Prantl, in Engl. & PrantI, Nat. Pfl. 



Fam. 3 : Abt. 2. 63. iSgi. 

 Cyrtorhyncha Cymbalaria Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 161. 



1894. 

 H. Cymbalaria Greene, Pittonia 4: 208. 1900. 



Low, glabrous, somewhat succulent, spreading by run- 

 ners. Leaves mostly basal, slender-petioled, the blade 

 cordate-oval or reniform, crenate, 2"-g" long; flowers 1-7, 

 about 3"-4" broad, borne on scapes I'-g' long, these some- 

 times bearing oiie or more leaves toward the base; head of 

 fruit oblong, 3"-8" long; achenes compressed, somewhat 

 swollen, distinctly striate, minutely sharp-pointed. 



On sandy shores, Labrador to New Jersey, west along the 

 St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes to Minnesota, Kansas 

 and the Northwest Territory, and in saline soil throughout the 

 western half of the continent, extending into Mexico. Also in 

 Asia and South America. The so-called var. atpina Hook, is 

 a small northern race. Summer. 



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