2) 
FLOWERING PLANTS. 39 
common throughout the kingdom; y on Lochnagar, Aberdeenshire, 
and probably in other places. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Early Summer 
to Autumn. 
Rootstock thickened, obliquely creeping for a short distance 
(very short and almost perpendicular in y). Stem erect, 1 to 2 
feet high, except when growing on mountains, when it is much 
shorter. Upper part of the stem branched, forming an irregular 
cyme. Leaves varying much in the degree of incision and the 
breadth of the lobes. Flowers 2 inch to 1 inch in diameter. Achenes 
lenticular, brown when ripe, appearing finely granulated only when 
examined under a powerful lens ; beak at first curved at the end 
but this portion is very often deciduous. 
This is the only sub-species of R. acris of which I have seen 
British specimens. The Rev. W. W. Newbould, however, believes 
that he has seen in Yorkshire R. Boreeanus, which is a second sub- 
species, of which there is a very good figure in Reichenbach’s 
Icones Florze Germanicze et Helveticee, Vol. III. Ran. Tab. X VI. dis, 
Fig. 4606, under the name of R. acris. Descriptions of it will be 
found in Jordan’s Obs. Frag. VI. p. 19; and Boreau’s Flore du 
Cent. de la Fr. ed. iii. p.15. This plant has the rootstock not at 
all creeping, but very short and perpendicular ; the leaves are much 
more deeply divided, the segments and ultimate lobes nearly linear 
in outline. The plant is also much less hairy, and the hairs are all 
adpressed even at the bottom of the stem. The petals are narrower, 
more wedge-shaped at the base, and have the nectary scale longer 
than broad. Var. y (rectus) of R. eu-acris, approaches this plant 
in several important features, as in the rootstock being scarcely 
creeping, and the rather wedge-shaped petals, narrow nectary scale, 
and adpressed scanty hairs; but the leaves are much less finely cut, 
and the beak of the fruit much longer. Perhaps a larger series of 
specimens than I have been able to examine might connect these 
two plants. As far as I have observed, the receptacle of R. eu-acris 
becomes very decidedly clavate in drying ; but in the few specimens 
of R. Borzeanus which I have seen, it remains cylindrical. This may, 
however, be merely accidental. 
A third sub-species, R. Friesianus (Jordan), occurs on the Conti- 
nent, but I have found nothing like it amongst British examples of 
Ki. acris. This is more hairy than even the var. vulgatus of R. eu- 
acris, and has the root leaves much less divided, closely resembling 
those of the continental R. lanuginosus; and the stem leaves, similar 
in shape to the root leaves, are more numerous. 
Upright Meadow Crowfoot. Buttercup, or Kingcup. 
German, Wiesenranunkel, Kleine Butterblume. 
Acrid by pre-eminence, this favourite flower grows everywhere ; and although its 
bright colour and hardy growth render it familiar to everyone, care must be had to 
