Yellow to Orange Flowers 315 



Care must be taken not to confuse the Ranunculi with the 

 Potentillas, which latter belong to the Rose Family and are 

 also described in this Section, for the blossoms of the two 

 plants somewhat resemble each other, though a close inspec- 

 tion and comparison of them, together with their stems and 

 leaves, will always serve to plainly demonstrate at once the 

 differences which exist between them. One point of vari- 

 ance which may be specially noted is that the Ranunculus 

 usually has simple lobed, or divided or dissected leaves, 

 whereas the Potentilla usually has compound leaves; that is 

 to say, the Ranunculus has, in most cases, leaves that are 

 much cut up and lobed, but the Potentilla, as a rule, has 

 leaves formed of several entirely separate leaflets. This 

 distinction is, however, not arbitrary, though it exists in the 

 majority of cases. Also each petal of the Ranunculus has 

 a tiny pit, or spot, covered by a scale, on the inside of the 

 claw, near the base. This spot is absent in all the Poten- 

 tillas. The Meadow Buttercup has fibrous roots. This is 

 an introduced plant. 



Ranunculus Macounii, or Macoun's Buttercup, is an erect, 

 very hairy plant, growing from one to two feet high, and has 

 yellow flowers. 



Ranunculus Eschscholtzii, or Snow Buttercup, grows at 

 very high altitudes, close to the snow and always near water. 

 A cluster of much-divided leaves grows up from the base 

 of the plant on long slender stems, and half-way up the 

 flower-stalk there is a circle of narrowly lobed leaves, and 

 also, frequently, a single bud. The large yellowish calyx, 

 which is covered with brown hairs on the outside, gives the 

 flower almost a double appearance. The head of the fruit 

 is oblong. 



Ranunculus Cymbalaria, or Creeping Crowfoot, as its 



