POLYANDRIA-^POLYGYNIA. Ranunculus. 47 



4. R. Fiearia. Pilewort Crowfoot. Lesser Celandine, 



Leaves heart-shaped, angular, stalked, smooth. Petals nu- 

 merous, elliptic-oblong. 



R. Fiearia. Linn. Sp.Pl.77A. Willd.v.2.\3\2. Fl. Br. 589, 

 Engl. Bot. v.9.t. 584. Curt. Land. fasc. 2. t. 39. Mart. Rust, t.2 1 , 

 FTook.Scot.\74. Fl.Dan.t. 499. Bull.Fr.t.43. Ehrh.Fl.Of.376. 



Fiearia. Brunf. Herb. t\ 1 . 2 1 5 ./. 



F. n. 1160. Hall, Hist. V. 2.67. 



F. verna, Huds. 244. 



F. ranunculoides. Roth Gerrn. v. \. 241. v. 2. p.]. 622. DeCand, 

 Syst.v. 1.304. 



Chelidonium minus. Raii Syn. 246. Ger. Eni.8\6.f. Trag. Hist. 

 1 13./. Fuchs. Hist. 867./ Matth. Valgr. v. \,57S.f. Corner. 

 Epit. 403./ Dalech. Hist. 1048./ Cord. Hist. 121,2./ 



In meadows, bushy places, and about hedge banks, every where. 



Perennial. April. 



Root fibrous, accompanied with many fleshy, oblong, annual knobs. 

 Herb smooth, of a bright shining green, rather succulent. Steins 

 either erect or recumbent, from 3 to 10 inches long, branched, 

 leafy. Leaves alternate, stalked, heart-shaped, angular or wavy 

 at the margin, sometimes spotted with black. Footstallcs longer 

 than the leaves ; dilated, membranous and sheathing at the 

 base. Fl. terminal, solitary, on long stalks. Cal. of 3, rarely 

 more, roundish, concave leaves. Pet. elliptic-oblong, generally 

 9, often 8 or 10, of a golden yellow, as if varnished ; turning 

 white by the action of light. Nect. a small hollow in the base of 

 each petal, closed with a scale. 



Those who retain Fiearia as a genus, should observe that Hud- 

 son's name verna, published in 1762, is prior to ranunculoides, 

 and in every respect more eligible ; the latter being a barbarous 

 jumble of Latin and Greek, such as too often disgraces our sci- 

 ence. It ought to have been ranunculinus. 



** Leaves lobed^ or cut. 



5. R. aurico7mis. Wood Crowfoot. Goldilocks. 



Radical leaves kidney-shaped, deeply three-cleft, notched ; 

 stem-leaves divided to the base into linear segments. Stem 

 many llowered. Calyx coloured. 



R. auricomus. Linn. Sp. PL 775. IVilld. v. 2. 13 14. Fl. Br. .590. 



F.niyl.Bot.v.9.t.624^. Curt. Lond. fasc.2. t.4\ . Hook. Scot. \7 4. 



DeCand. Sifst. v. 1 . 266 . Ft. Dan. t. 665 . Ger. Em. 954. /*.. 

 R. n. 1 1 77. ^Hall. Hist. v. 2. 76. 



K. nemorosus dulcis, secundus Tragi. Raii Syn. 248. 

 R. (lukis. se\i pratensis Traf;. Ili.st. 97./ 

 R. prima species sylvestris. Fuchs. Hist. 156./ Dalech. Hist.\029.f. 



