RANUNCULACEiE. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 17 



1. A. nemorosa, L. (Wood Axemone.) Smooth or somewhat villous; stems 

 from a slender rootstock, 3 to 12 inches high, without radical leaves, one-flowered; invo- 

 lucre of 3 petioled ternato leaves, the- divisions cuneate-oblong to ovate, incisely toothed 

 or lobed, or the lateral ones 2-parted, about an inch long; the 4 to 7 sejjals pinkish or 

 white; akenes 12 to 20, oblong, with a hooked beak. 



Here belongs Thalictram Fmdlerl, Englm. A smooth apetalous dioecious herb; also, 

 Mjosurus minimus, L. A very small herb, with a tuft of linear or spatulate entire 

 radical leaves, and solitary flowers on simple scapes; called Mouse-tail, from its lon-^, 

 narrow receptacle, densely covered with small akenes. 



3. RANUNCULUS, L. Buttercup. 



Sepals usually 5. Petals 3 to 18. Pistils numerous. Akenes in a head, usually flat- 

 tened, beaked with the persistent style. 



§ 1. Aquatic herbs; jjetals white, with a pit at the base, the claw yellow; akenes tranS' 



versely icrinlcled. 



1. R. hederaceus, L., var. Glabrous; stems 6 to 12 inches long, floating; leaves 

 commonly all floating, 3 to 8 lines wide, deeply 3-lobed, truncate or cordate at the base; 

 the lobes equal, oval or oblong, the lateral ones usually with a broad notch in the apex; 

 submersed leaves none or rudimentary and resembling adventitious roots; peduncles 

 opposite the upper leaves, thicker than the petiole, 6 to 8 lines long; sepals a line long; 

 petals 2 lines long, obovate oblong; stamens 5 to 9; akenes 4 to 6. 



2. R. aquatilis, L., var. tricophyllus, Chaix. Stems long, filiform; leaves all 

 submersed and cut into numerous capillary segments, which are 4 to 10 lines long; flowers 

 3 to 5 lines in diameter; akenes numerous in a globular head. 



§ 2. Terrestrial herbs, but often growing in loet places; sepals green; petals yellow^ with 

 a scale at the base; akenes neither wrinkled nor hispid. 



* All the leaves undivided, the margins entire. 



3. R. Flammula, L., var. reptans, Gr. Glabrous throughout; stems filiform, creep- 

 ing and rooting at the joints, 4 to 10 inches long; leaves mostly lanceolate and acute at 

 each end, entire; flowers 2 to 5 lines in diameter; petals broadly obovate, one half longer 

 than the sepals; akenes few, in a small globular head, plump, smooth; beak very short 

 and curved. 



4. R. alismaefolius, Geyer. Similar to the last species, but with stoutish, erect 

 etems, longer flowers and obtuse leaves; akenes straight- beaked. 



* * Some or all the leaves ternatehj compound. 



5. R. Califomicus, Benth. More or less hairy; stems erect, or nearly so, 12 to 18 

 inches high; radical leaves, commonly pinnately temate, the leaves laciniately cut into 

 3 to 7 parts, which are usii,ally linear; flowers bright yellow, 5 to 10 lines in diameter; 



