CROWFOOT FAMILY. 37 



high ; stem-leaves not raised on a general petiole ; flowers greenish and pur- 

 plish; anthers short-linear, drooping on capillary and upwardly rather thickened 

 filaments. 



T. Cornuti, Tall M. Herb 4° - 8° high ; stem-leaves not raised on a 

 general petiole ; flowers white, in summer ; anthers oblong, not drooping ; the 

 white filaments thickened upwards. Low or wet ground. 



5. ADONIS. (The red-flowered species fabled to spring from the blood 

 of Adonis, killed bj' a wild boar.) Stems leafy ; leaves finely much cut 

 into very narrow divisions. Cult, from Europe for ornament 



A. autumnalis, Pheasant's-eye A. ® Stems near 1° high, it or the 

 branches terminated by a small flower, of 5-8 scarlet or crimson petals, com- 

 monly dark at their base. Has run wild in Tennessee. 



A. vernMis, Spring A. U Stems about 6' high, bearing a large showy 

 flower, of 10-20 lanceolate light-yellow petals, in early spring. 



6. MYOSURUS, MOUSETAIL (which the name means in Greek). (T) 

 M. minimus. An insignificant little plant, wild or run wild along streams 



from Illniois S., with a tuft of narrow entire root-leaves, and scapes 1' -3' high, 

 bearing an obscure yellow flower, followed by tail-like spike of fruit of l'-2' 

 long, in spring and summer. 



7. RANUNCULUS, CROWFOOT, BUTTERCUP. (Latin name for 

 a little frog, and for the Water Crowfoots, living with the frogs.) A large 

 genus of wild plants, except the (ioublc-flowered varieties of three species cult, 

 in gardens for ornament. (Lessons, p. 183, fig. 358-36L) 



§ 1. Aquatic ; the leaves all or mostli/ under water, and repeatedly dissected into 

 many capillary divisions : flowering all summer. 



R. aquatilis, White Water-Crowfoot. Capillary leaves collapsing 

 into a tuft when drawn out of the water ; petals small, white, or only yellow at 

 the base, where they bear a spot or little pit, but no scale : akenes wrinkled 

 crosswise. 



R. divarie^tus. Stiff W. Like the last, but less common ; the leaves 

 stiff" and rigid enough to keep their shape (spreading in a circular outline) when 

 drawn out of water. 



R. multifidus. Yellow W. Leaves imder water much as those of the 

 White Water Crowfoot*, or rather larger ; but the bright yellow petals as large 

 as those of Common Buttercups, and, like them, with a little scale at the base. 

 (Formerly named R. Purshii, &c.) 



§ 2. Terrestrial, many in wet places, but naturally growing with the foliage out of 

 water : petals with the little scale at the base, yelloiv in all the wild species. 

 * Akenes not prickly nor bristly nor striate on the sides. IJ. 



-t- Spearwort Crowfoots ; groiving in very wet places, with mostly entire and 

 narroio leaves : fl. all summer. 



R. alismsefdlius. Stems ascending, 1° - 2° high ; leaves lanceolate or the 

 lowest oblong ; flower fully ^' in diameter ; akenes beaked with a straight and 

 slender style. 



R. Fl4mmula. Smaller than the last, and akenes short-pointed ; rare 

 N., but very common along borders of ponds and rivers is the 



Var. reptans, or Creeping S., with slender stems creeping a few inches in 

 length; leaves linear or spatulate, seldom 1' long ; flower only 4' broad. 



I- -1- Small-flowered Crowfoots ; in wet or moist places, with upper 

 leaves 3-partcd or divided, and very small flowers, the petals shorter or not longer 

 than the calyx : fl. spring and summer. 



R. abortivus, Small-flowered C. Very smooth and slender, 6' -2° 

 high ; root-leaves rounded, crenate ; akenes in a globular head. Shady places, 

 along watercourses. 



R. sceler^tus, Cursed C. So called because the juice is very acrid and 

 blistering ; stouter than the last and thicker-leaved, equally smooth, even the 



