44 POLYANDRIA— POLYGYNIA, Ranunculus. 



Root tapering. Stem erect, branched, often bushy, round, striated, 

 leafy, rarely a little downy. Leaves dark green, alternate, ses- 

 sile, triply and copiously pinnatifid, with linear, acute, smooth 

 segments. Fl. of a deep shining crimson, with a black spot 

 near the claw of each petal, and dark-violet anthers. Seeds 

 corrugated, composing an oblong-ovate head, not an inch long. 

 The petals vary in number from 6 to 10, but are inversely heart- 

 shaped, scarcely longer than the calyx, which is usually smooth. 



A. aestivalis of Linnaeus, under which the miniata, and perhaps 

 Jlammea, of Jacquin, FL Austr. t. 354,355, maybe ranged, is a 

 very distinct species, known by its mostly 5, narrow, scarlet 

 petals; long and slender spike of 5eec?5,- and less bushy habit. 

 This has never been found in England ; for specimens sent by 

 my late worthy friend Dr. Withering show his cestivalis to be but 

 a starved and paler autumnalis. 



279. RANUNCULUS. Crowfoot. 



Linn. Gen. 281 . Juss. 233. Fl. Br. 587. Sm. in Rees's Cycl.v. 29. 

 rowrn. L 149, A- -C, G—L. Lam.t.49S. GcBrtn.t.7A. De- 

 Cand.Syst.v. \.2S\. 



Ficaria. Dill. Gen. 108. t. 5 . Huds. 244. Juss. 233. DeCand. 

 Syst.v. 1.304. 



Nat. Orel, see ?i. 270—273, and 275—282. 



CaL inferior, of 5, rarely few^er, ovate, concave, somewhat 

 coloured, deciduous leaves. Pet, 5, rarely 8 or 10, ob- 

 tuse, polished, with short broad claws. Nect. a pore to- 

 wards the base of each petal, in several instances covered 

 by a scale. Filam, numerous, rarely but 5, not half the 

 length of the petals. Anth. roundish, linear, or heart- 

 shaped, terminal, erect, of 2 cells, bursting at the outer 

 edges. Germ, superior, numerous, collected into a head. 

 Styles none. Stigmas small, reflexed. Seeds numerous, 

 ovate, compressed, either smooth, striated, tuberculated, 

 or prickly, each tipped with a point, or hook. 



Herbs, mostly perennial, either hairy or smooth. Roots 

 fibrous, tuberous, or granulated. Stems round. Leaves 

 extremely various. Fl, yellow, or white, very rarely pur- 

 plish, on terminal, axillary, or lateral stalks, almost en- 

 tirely scentless. In R. auricomus the corolla is often 

 wanting, the calyx becoming dilated and coloured. In 

 Ficaria, reckoned a distinct genus by some authors, the 

 calyx-leaves are usually but 3, though often 5, and the 

 petals about 8. The nectaries make it a Raymnculus, ac- 

 cording to Linnaeus, who had well considered the matter, 

 jmd would not divide so natural a genus, especially for 



