RANUNCULACi:^. (OROWFOOT FAMILY.) 7 



8. EANUNCULUS, L. Crowfoot. Buttercup. 



Sepals 3 -.5, regular, herbaceous, concave, imbricated in the bud, deciduous. 

 Petals 3-10, diluted, flat, furnished with a pit or scale at the narrowed base. 

 Stamens mostly numerous. Filaments filiform. Ovaries few or numerous, 

 1-ovulcd. Style short, subulate. Achenia capitate, compressed, beaked with 

 the smooth, pei-sistent style. Seed erect. — Herbs. Leaves alternate, the radical 

 ones long-pctiolcd. Flowers a.xillary or somewhat corymbed, ■white or yellow. 



^ 1. P< tills white, with a yellow pit at the base: achenia rufjoae. 



1. B.. aquatilis, L. Stems filiform, immersed; leaves petioled, divided 

 into an indetinitc number of capillary segments ; flowers axillary, remote, long- 

 pcdundcd. (R. Pantothrix, DC.) — Slow-flowing streams in the upper districts. 

 July aud August. H.. — Stems 1° - 2° long. Leaves circular in outline. 



§ 2. Petals yellow, icilh a small scale at the base. 

 * Achenia muricaie : annuals. 



2. R. parviflorus, L. Silky-pubescent ; leaA'es small, the lower ones 

 circular, 3-!obcd, acutely-toothed ; the upper 3-partcd or entire ; flowers very 

 small ; petals 3-5, as long as the reflexcd sepals ; achenia narrowly margined, 

 pointed with the short, recurved style. {11. trachyspeiTiuis, Jul.) — "Waste places. 

 April and May. — Stems erect, branching from the base, 6'- 12' high. Leaves 

 rarely 1' wide. 



3. R. muricatus, L. Nearly smooth ; lower leaves 3-lobcd, crenate ; 

 petals ."), longer than the calyx ; achenia pointed with the broad, straight style, 

 broadly margined. — Waste jilaccs around Charleston {Elliott). March -April. 

 Introduced. — Stem 12' - 18' high. 



* * Ac] tenia smooth : chirjly perennials. 

 ■i- Leaves undivided. 



4. R. alismCDfolius, Gcyer. Smooth ; stems asccndinp;, rooting at the 

 lower joints; leaves lanceolate, acute, denticulate or entire ; petals longer than 

 the calyx ; achenia in globose heads, tumid, slender-beaked. (TI. Flammula, Ell. 

 &c.) — Jliuldy banks and ditches, chiefly in the upper districts. May -July. 

 — Stems 1° - 2° long. Leaves 2' - 4' long. Flowers 3" - 5" wide. 



5. R. pusillus, Poir. Smooth ; stems several, erect ; lowest leaves ovate 

 or roundish, the others lanceolate or linear, entire or denticulate ; flowers mi- 

 nute ; petals 1 - .5, as long as the calyx ; achenia in globular heads, barely 

 pointed. (It. oblongifolius, Ell., a broader-leaved form.) — ^luddy banks, Geor- 

 gia to North Carolina and westward. March and April. — Stem G'-12' high. 

 Leaves 1' long. Flowers 2" wide. Stamens 5-9. 



•t- -i- Leaves {at least those of the stem) ternateljj lohrd or divided. 

 •<-*• Petals small, not crceeding the calyx. 



6. R. abortivus, L. Smooth ; lowest leaves orbicailar, cordate, undivided, 

 crenate, those of the stem 3 - 5-parted, with wcdge-sha])ed toothed divisions ; 

 the uppermost sessile, 3-paitcd ; petals shorter than the calyx ; achenia in glo- 

 bose heads, pointed with a very short recurved beak. — Low grounds. March 

 and April. — Stem 1° - 1 ^7° high. 



