OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 365 



the American M. apetalus. That is, they are of rather firm texture 

 on the back, which is produced into the still firmer beak, while they 

 are ventrally thin and utricular, and either laterally somewhat flattened 

 or turgid. In fact, the figure by Schlechtendal, in Linnsea, seems 

 fairly to represent the general form of the carpel, notwithstanding 

 Ledebour's note to the contrary. Prof. Oliver called my attention 

 to the fact that they are in a measure follicular, being disposed to 

 dehisce or burst open ventrally. I have shown (in Bull. Torrey Club 

 for January, 1886) that this is rather strikingly the case in all the species 

 of 3Iyosurus, where, nearly the whole length of the body of the semi- 

 utricular akene being attached to the rhachis, a rather obvious sutural 

 dehiscence takes place, or is readily produced by slight pressure, when 

 the fruit ftxlls away. As restored to Ranunculus the species take their 

 older names of R. Kamtschaticus, DC. (which may probably occur on 

 the American side of the strait), and R. polypetalus, Royle. As to 

 0. Shaftoanus, by some oversight the authors failed to notice its 

 nearer relationship to R. glacialis and R. Andersoni, q. v. 



§ 3. PsEUDAPHANOSTEMMA. Petals (reduced to a long-unguicu- 

 late nectary) and petaloid (white) tardily deciduous sepals of § Apha- 

 nostemma, with lanceolate utricular carpels nearly of Oxygraphis ; 

 these lanceolate, tapering into a slender style, thin-membranaceous 

 throughout, compressed. Leaves round-reniform, 5-7-lobed and cre- 

 nate-dentate. 



R. HYSTRicuLUS, Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. vii. 328. Kumlienia 

 hystricula, E. L. Greene, Bull. Calif. Acad. i. 337. Besides Oxy- 

 graphis there are certain New Zealand and Aucklandian Ranunculi 

 which approach this in the character of the fruit. 



§ 4. Crymodes, i. e. glacialis. Petals (rose-color, white, or rarely 

 yellow) ample, and with the sepals marcescent-persistent : carpels 

 wholly or partly utricular, compressed and broad : showy-flowered 

 perennials, chiefly arctic-alpine. 



* Akenes becoming partly coriaceous in age, and the scarious portion 

 becoming a wing-like border, but still bilamellar and pervious. 



R. GLACIALIS, L. Comes as near to our continent as Greenland. 



R. Chamissonis, Schlecht. Comes still nearer to our continent on 

 the Asiatic side of Bering Strait. Akenes apparently more utricular 

 and gibbous, and style longer than in R. glacialis, but little known. 

 * * Akenes wholly thin-utricular. 



R. AxDERSONi, Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. vii. 327 ; "Watson, Bot. 

 King Exp. 6, t. 1. Habit and foliage nearly of the preceding. 



