Order 1.— RANUNCULACE^E. 207 



and hills. Root a cluster of fleshy fibres. Root lvs. on petioles 3 — 8' long, ter- 

 nate, with the middle segment long-stalked and again pinnately ternate ; lateral 

 Begin, mostly sessile, all 3 — 5 cleft into acute lobes. Stems never creeping. 

 Pubescence silky, appressed. Fls. bright yeilow, 1' broad. Petals spatulato- 

 obovate, with a broad scale. Beak of the carpels slender. Apr., May. 



13 R. repens L. Root fibrous; radical lvs. ternate with stalked leaflets; pedun- 

 cles furroived; carp, broadly margined and pointed. — In moist and shady places. 

 Early flowering stem3 erect ; later branches from the base prostrate, 1 — 3 — 4f 

 long, generally hirsute at the base. Petioles hairy, long. Lvs. hairy on the 

 veins, dark green, ternate, the lfts, ovato or broadly crenate, variously lobed and 

 cleft, all (or at least the middle ones) petiolulate. Fls. middle size, bright yel- 

 low. Fr. in a round head. May,— -J\. Varies exceedingly in different localities 

 and stages of growth. Somo of its moro striking forms are : 



/?. linearilobus. St. very long, floriferous, smoothish ; lobes of lvs. very nar- 

 row. Fruit not strongly margined. 



y. hispidus. Stem and petioles densely hirsute with soft-spreading hairs ; lfts. 

 all distinctly stalked, deeply parted. Fr. short-pointed 



i. nitidus. Mostly erect, glabrous; fls. large, sep. reflcxed ; fr. strongly mar- 

 gined. Common Soutli. Probably a distinct species. 



14 R. palmatus Ell. Lvs. palmately 3 — 5 cleft or divided, ivith the sinus at bass 

 closed, the segra. all sessile and cut-toothed or lohed; carp, few, margined, and 

 straight-beaked. — In wet barrens, Car. to Fla. St. 12 — 18' high, with a few 

 slender branches, pubescent. Lvs. all petiolate, pentangular in outline, 1 — 2' 

 wide, with appressed pubescence. Upper lvs. of 3 linear segments. Fls. few, 

 yellow, small (6 — S" diam.) Fr. compressed. 



15 R. acri3 L. Butter-cups. St. erect, many-flowered ; lvs. more or less pu- 

 bescent, deeply trifid, with the basi segm. divaricate, all laciniale, upper ones with 

 linear segments ; ped. terete; cal. hairy, spreading ; carp, roundish, smooth, com- 

 pressed ; beak short, recurved. — This is the most common species in N. Eng. and 

 Can., in meadovv3 and pastures, rapidly and extensively spreading. St. 1 — 2f 

 high, round, hollow, mostly hairy. Lvs. H — 3' diam., upper ones in 3 linear seg- 

 ments. Fls. large (1' diam.), golden yellow. Jn., Sept. 



(i. plena. Fls. double, the petals excessively multiplied. Gardens. 



16 R. Pennsylvanicii3 L. Hirsute, with stiff, spreading hairs ; lvs. ternate, lfts. 

 sub-petiolate, deeply 3-lobed, incisely serrato ; cal. reflexed, rather longer than the 

 roundish petals ; carp, tipped with a short, straight style. — A very hairy species 

 in wet grounds, Can. and TJ. S. Stem \\ — 3f high. Lvs. 2 — 3' diam., lfts. 

 Etrongly veined and with spreading segments. Fls. numerous, small, bright 

 yellow. Fruit in dense oblong or cylindrical heads. — Jn., Aug. (R. hispidua 

 Ph.) 



17 R. sceleratus Ph. Smooth; lower lvs. 3-parled, segm. 3-lobed, crenately 

 incised, or entire ; carp, minute, p>ointless. — Grows in wet places, Can. to Ga. 

 St. rather thick, hollow, much branched, 1 — Hf high. Lower petioles 3 — 5' 

 long, with rather large, palmately 3 — 5-parted leaves. Floral lys. or bracts 

 mostly simple, lanceolate and entire. Fls. small, yellow. Cal. reflexed, as long 

 as the minute petals. Hds. of carpels only 2 — 3" long. This is one of the most 

 acrid of the tribe, and will raise blisters upon tho skin. Jn., Jl. 



18 R. recurvatus L. Hirsute with thin, spreading hairs ; lvs. all similarly 3-paried, 

 Begm. oval, unequally incised, the lateral ones 2-lobed; cal. recurved, longer 

 than the lanceolate petals; ach. with a hooked beak. — About If high, in damp 

 woods. Lab. to Fla. Pale green, branching above. Lvs. H — 2' long, 2 — 3£' 

 wide, on petioles 3 — 6' long. Upper lvs. subsessile and 3-parted quite to the 

 base. Fls. small, with inconspicuous, pale yellow petals. Carp, ovate, tipped 

 with long, hooked beaks. May — Jl. 



19 R. bulboaiis L. Hairy; st. erect, bulbou at the base; radical lvs. ternate, 

 lfts. petiolate, incisely dentate, each about 3-cleft ; ped. furrowed, cal. reflexed. — 

 This is another acrid species, very common in pastures, mow-lands, &c. Rt. 

 fleshy. St. leafy, furrowed, 6 — 18' high, hollow, thickened at the base into a 

 Bort of bulb, and dividing above into upright peduncles, with golden yellow 



