Ranunculus.] - flora indica. 29 



mately divided into lobes, and the amount of division seema (as was long ago pointed 

 out by Seringe) to vary indefinitely. To such an extent, indeed, does the variation 

 extend, that occasionally species very dissimilar in fruit are in a flowering state abso- 

 lutely undistinguishable. This tendency to mutability of form is unfortunately not 

 confined to the leaves, but extends to the size and degree of branching of the stem, 

 to the size of the flowers, to the shape of the head of fruit and of the individual car- 

 pels, and to the amount of pubescence ; and in consequence the genus is in a state of 

 complete chaos, the descriptions given in books being quite insufficient for the deter- 

 mination of the specie9. Very frequently the diagnoses of the same plant given by 

 different authors are quite irreconcilable, and the most different species are occasionally 

 found in herbaria under the same name. A careful examination of extensive suites of 

 specimens from all parts of the world has convinced us that no single character, except 

 the colour of the flowers, is to be relied upon absolutely. The shape of the leaves is 

 the least constant of all, and in four-fifths of the genus is undefinable in words ; and 

 even the shape of the style or beak of the achenia, which seems to be mainly relied 

 on as a character, will, unless used with great caution, lead to very erroneous con- 

 clusions, as straight and curved styles may be seen on the same specimen, frequently 

 even in the same capitulum. Nothing is more common than to find in botanical 

 works that a newly- described species is "facile distinctus" by a certain character, 

 which, if an extensive series of specimens be examined, will be found to be no 

 character at all. At the same time we seek in vain in such works for any recog- 

 nition of the great amount of variation to which the different organs are subject, 

 though the fact must be familiar to all careful observers of nature. And yet with 

 this mass of ill-assorted descriptions in books, new species are almost daily being 

 added to the list, not a few being described without a knowledge of the ripe fruit. 

 We believe that no greater boon could be confcrre4 upon science than a careful series 

 of observations on the amount of variation to which cultivated specimens of any com- 

 mon Ranunculus are liable during a series of year9. 



Sect. 1. Batrachium, DC. — Carpella transverse rugosa. Flores 

 albi, petalorura ungue flavo. 



1. R. aquatilis (L. Sp. 781) ; fluitans, foliis subinersis capillaceo 

 multifidis, emersis (dum adsunt) rotundato-reniformibus. — BO. Prod. 

 i. 26 ; Don, in Royle, III. 54 ; Sc/decht. Anim. Ran. 7 ; Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 

 i. 27 ; Torrey et Gray, Fl. N. Am. i. 15. E. divaricatus et fluitans, 

 Ledeb. I. c. It. peucedanifolius, AIL; SchlechL Anim. I. c. K. Pantothrix 



et fluviatilis, Auct. 



Hab. Beluchistan ! Afghanistan ! Kashmir 1 Ladak usque ad 14,500 

 ped. alt. ! Panjab Himalaya, Jacquemont! Kumaon, alt. 5-12,000 ped.! 

 in Tibetia Sikkimensi, alt. 17,000 ped.!; in India calida rarissima: 

 ad Sahamnpur in planitie Gangetica superiore, Royle! — (Fl. per totam 



gestatem.) (v. v.) 



Distrib. Europa! usque ad Islandiam ! Asia temperata usque ad 

 Chinam ! Tasmania ! Abyssinia ! Algeria ! Teneriffa ! America borealis 

 temperata usque ad mare arcticum ! 



Ilerba aquatilis, in lacubus et aquis lente fluentibus fluitans, radicibus fibrosis. 

 Caules saspius elongati, graciles. Folia submersa petiolata, rariusve sessilia, 1-3 

 pollices longa, eireumscriptione rotundata, dissecta, segmentis eapiilaceis ; emersa (in 

 speciminibus Indicis adhuc non observata) rotundato-reniformia, inciso-crenata, tri- 

 loba vel tripartita. Pedunculi oppositifolii, 1-flori. Flares magnitudiue valde varii, 

 diainetro £~l£-pollicares. Achenia in capitulum globosum collecta, ovali-oblonga, 

 vix compressa. 





