4(5 POLYANDlllA— POLYGYNIA. Ranunculus. 



In watery places, common, 



S. On the margins of alpine lakes. 



Perennial. June — September. 



Roots of many long simple fibres, partly fi"Om the lower joints of 

 the stem. Herb generally smooth ; except the variety y, whose 

 leaves are said to be hairy at the edges. This I have never met 

 with. Stem more or less reclining, partly, or entirely, decum- 

 bent, from G to 18 inches long, branched, leafy, hollow j De- 

 Candolle says " solid ; " it is often hairy in the upper part. 

 Leaves on channelled clasping footstalks, alternate, lanceolate, 

 varying greatly in breadth, sometimes ovate, sometimes in $ 

 partly linear ; in j3 remarkably serrated, but the least observa- 

 tion proves this a mere variety, and most authors have had doubts 

 concerning $. I cannot esteem it a species. Fl. opposite to 

 the leaves, as well as terminal, on round stalks, without bracteas. 

 Pet. of a golden yellow. Necf. minute. Seeds small, smooth at 

 the sides. Cali/x often slightly hairy. The whole plant is highly 

 acrid, blistering the skin. Dr. Withering recommends the dis- 

 tilled water as an instantaneous emetic, in cases of poison. He 

 does not mention the dose. 



2. R. Lingua. Great Spear-wort Crowfoot. 



Leaves lanceolate, pointed, nearly sessile, somewhat ser- 

 rated. Stem erect, many-flowered. Root fibrous. Seeds 

 smooth. 



R. Lingua. Lhm Sp. Pl.773. Willd.v.2. 1308. FL Br.^SS. Engl. 

 Bot'.v. 2. t. 100. Hook. Scot. 173. Lond. t. 171*. DeCond. Stjst. 

 V. i. 246. Fl. Dan. t. 7.55. 



R. n. 1181. Hall. Hist. V. 2. 78. 



R. flammeus major. Kaii Syn. 250. Ger. Em. 961./. 



R. longo folio maximus. Lingua Plinii. Bnuh. Hist. v. 3. 849./. 



R. longifolius. Lingua Plinii dictus, foliis serratis. Ambros. Phijt. 

 459./. 



In marshes, reedy pools and ditches, but not common. 



In the isle of Ely, Norfolk, and several parts of the north of Eng- 

 land ; also in Duddingston loch, near Edinburgh. 



Perennial. July. 



Twice the size of R. Flammula, and more silky, with close-pressed 

 hairs, in every part of the herbage. The leaves are more gene- 

 rally, but not so evidently, serrated. CaZ. hairy. Pet. bright yel- 

 low. Nect. covered by a small scale. Seeds minutely dotted, but 

 not rough. 



3. R. gramineiis. Grassy Crowfoot. 



Leaves linear-lanceolate, many-ribbed, entire. Stem erect, 

 very smooth, with few flowers. Root tuberous. 



R. gramineus. Linn. Sp. PL 773. mild. v. 2. 1309. IVith. 505. 



