POLYANDRIA-POLYGYNIA. Ranunculus. 45 



the sake of a solitary species. This whole natural order 

 evinces the importance of its various and very curious 

 nectaries^ in characterizing the genera. Species of Ra- 

 nunculus are found all over the world. They amount to 

 140 in DeCandoUe, whose account of them is the last 

 and best. Their qualities are hot and acrid. 



* Leaves simple. 



1 . R. Flammula. Lesser Spear-wort Crowfoot. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate, bluntish, stalked. Stem reclining. 

 Root fibrous. Seeds smooth. 



R. Flammula. Linn. Sp. PL 772. Willd. v. 2. 1307. Fl. Br. 587. 

 Engl. Bot.v.6. t.387. Curt.Lond.fasc.6. t.37. Hook. Scot. \7 4. 

 DeCand. Sijst. v. 1 . 247. Fl. Dan. t. 575. Dod. Pempt 432 f. 

 Bull. Fr. t. 15. Ehrh. PL Of. 366. ' 



R. n. 1182. Hall. Hist. v. 2.78. 



R. flammeus minor. Raii Syn. 250. Ger. Em. 961. f. 



R. longifolius, aliis Flammula. Bauh. Hist. v. 3. 848./. 



R. species duodecima. Cord. Hist. 121, 2./. 



(5. R. flammeus serratus. Ger. Em. 962. f. 



R. Flammula, folio serrato. Dod. Pempt. 432. f. 



R. aquatilis angustifolius serratus. Lob. Ic. 670./. 



y. R. flammeus, latiori plantaginis folio, marginibus pilosis, ex Hi- 

 bernia. Pluk. Almag. 312. Dill, in Raii Syn. 251. 



$. R. reptans. Linn. Sp. PL 773. Willd. v. 2. 1307. DeCand. Syst. 

 ?;. 1.248. Lightf.289.f. in title. Dicks. H. Sice. fasc. 6.10. FL 

 Dan.t. 108. 



R. n. 1183. HalLHist.v.2.79. 



R. repens, gramineis foliis, e singulis geniculis radices agens. 

 Amm. Ruth. 80. t. 13./. 1. 



In watery places, common. 



S. On the margins of alpine lakes. 



Perennial. June — September. 



Roots of many long simple fibres, partly from 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. .S7em more or less reclining, partly, or entirely, decum- 

 bent, from 6 to 18 inches long, branched, leafy, hollow; De- 

 CandoUe says ''solid;" it is often hairy in the ui)per part. 

 Leaves on channelled clasping footstalks, alternate, lanceolate, 

 varying greatly in breadth, sometimes ovate, sometimes in $ 

 partly linear ; in (3 remarkably serrated, but the least observa- 

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

 concerning S. I cannot esteem it a species. /•'/. opjxisite to 

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

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



