122 NATURAL, HISTORY BULLETIN. 



Ranunculus lacustris Beck and Tracy, N. Y. Med. and 

 Phys. Jonrn. 2, 112, 1823. 



This species is to be found in ponds and slow streams 

 from May until June. It is sometimes common locally, but 

 generally throughout the state it is very infrequent. Speci- 

 mens before us are from Muscatine, Emmet, Dickinson, 

 and Decatur counties. The State University herbarium 

 has in addition specimens from Johnson, Hardin, and Story 

 counties. Messrs. Nagel and Haupt report the species from 

 Scott county; Prof. Fink from Fayette county; Prof. Bessey 

 from Warren county; and Prof. Pammel from Hamilton 

 and Lyon counties. 



Forms of this species growing out of the water closely 

 resemble Ranunculus pursliii Richards, which is distin- 

 guished by the marginless achenes and different habitat. 

 Prof. Arthur sends a specimen from Dickinson county 

 labeled Ranunculus pursliii Richards, but as the achenes 

 are more or less margined we have referred the specimen 

 to Ranunculus dclphinifolius Torr. Mud-flat forms of 

 the species constitute variety terrestris Gray, the flowers 

 and fruit being twice or thrice smaller, the leaves being 

 reniform and coarsely dissected. 



Bessey, Contr. to the Flora of Iowa in Fourth Report of the Iowa 

 Agr. Col., p. 91, 1872; Arthur, Contr. to the Flora of Iowa, p. 5, 1876J 

 Nag-el and Haupt, Proc. Davenport Acad, of Nat. Sciences, vol. 1, p. 

 154; Halsted, Bull. Iowa Agr. Col., Nov. 1886, p. SO; Hitchcock, Trans. 

 St. Louis Acad, of Science, vol. 5, p. 483; Pammel, Proc. Iowa Acad, of 

 Sciences, vol. 3, p. Ill; Plant World, vol. 2, p. 44; Fink, Proc. Iowa 

 Acad, of Sciences, vol. 4, p. 83; Fitzpatrick, Proc. Iowa Acad, of Sci- 

 ences, vol. 6, p. 177; Manual of the Flowering Plants of Iowa, p. 3; 

 Shimek, Bull. Lab. Nat. History, S. U. I., vol. 3, p. 199; Barnes, Rep- 

 pert and Miller, Proc. Davenport Acad, of Nat. Sciences, vol. 8, p. 201; 

 MacMillan, Met. Minn. Valley, p. 247. 



** Planis of szvamps or muddy shores; leaves narrow and 



usually entire. 



Ranunculus reptans L. Sp. PI. 549. 1753. Creep- 

 ing Spearwort. 

 A shore-plant, trailing or reclining, glabrous or pubes- 



