DICOTYLEDONS. 81 



point, thick and leathery, reddish-purple, 1 in. long ; tails of the 

 achenia plumose, 1^ in. long, brownish. May- August. On river 

 banks and rich soil. 



X. RANUNCULUS. 



Annual or perennial herbs ; leaves alternate, usually deeply 

 lobed or parted ; flowers axillary or in corymbs, white or yel- 

 low ; sepals 3-5 ; petals 3-5, flat, with a small pit or scale 

 inside at the narrowed base ; stamens usually numerous ; pis- 

 tils few or several in a head ; achenia flattened, pointed ; 

 mostly growing in wet soil. 



1. R. PARViFLORUS L. Small-flowered Buttercup. An- 

 nual; stems erect, branched, downy, G-12 in. high; leaves small, 

 the lower orbicular, o-lobed, sharply toothed, the upper 3-5-parted 

 or entire ; flowers very small ; sepals reflexed ; petals yellow, as long 

 as the sepals ; achenia margined, rough, with a recurved beak. 

 April-]\Iay. Wet, M'aste places. 



2. R. PusiLLus Poir. Low Spearwort. Perennial ; stems 

 several, erect or ascending, branched, glabrous, 6-15 in, high; leaves 

 entire or slightly toothed, the lower round or cordate, long-petioled, 

 the upper lanceolate or elliptical, nearly or quite sessile ; flowers very 

 small, about ^ in. wide, yellow ; petals 1-5, as long as the sepals ; 

 stamens 3-10 ; achenia smooth, with a very short point. .March- 

 April. On muddy banks. 



3. R. AiJORTivus L. Small-flowered Crowfoot. Peren- 

 nial; stems glabrous, branching, 12-18 in. high; root leaves round- 

 cordate, crenate, petioled ; stem leaves 3-5-parted, with wedge-shaped 

 or linear divisions, sessile ; flowers very snuiU, pale yellow ; sepals 

 reflexed, longer than the petals ; aclienia in a globose head, smooth, 

 with a short, recurved beak. ^March-April, Common on wet 

 ground. 



4. K, RKCURVATUs Poir. IIooKKi) CuowKooT. Pereuiiiiil; 

 stem erect, hirsute, 1-2 ft. high ; leaves all nearly alike, petioled, 3- 

 5-l()bed with the lobes wedge-shaju'd, cut or toothed at the apex ; 

 (lowers small, ])al«' yellow ; ]H^tals minute, short«'r than the reflexed 

 sepals; aclienia in a globular head, smooth, with a long and slender 

 recurved beak. April-May, On low ground, 



5. R, pENNsvLVAMcrs L. BiusTLV Ckowioot. Perennial: 

 stems rough-hairy, erect, 2-3 ft, high ; leaves ternate, on long and 

 very hairy ])etioles : leaflets long-stalke<l, 3-i)arted, the divisions 

 sharply lobed or toothed ; tlowers snudi ; j»etals yellow, shorter than 

 the sepals; a('he!iia flat, smooth, in oidong heads, beak broad and 

 straight. May-.Iune. <)n low ground ; nioi-e eoinnion nortliward. 



