I860.] RANUNCULUS HETEROPHYLLUS. 141 



Three principal varieties of this species are : — 



a. Floating leaves reniform, with three or five more or less 

 crenate lobes. 



h. Floating leaves truncate at their base^ with spreading and 

 sometimes very much pointed lobes. 



c. Floating leaves cut into narrow, radiating lobes. 



Another variety, growing on land, has its leaves all reniform. 

 The size of flower is very variable, and so are the leaves both as 

 to size and the spots of brown. 



H. floribundus (Bab.) . Submersed leaves closely trifurcate, their 

 segments rather rigid, not collapsing ; floating leaves long-stalked, 

 subpeltate, semitrifid or tripartite, with sessile, obovate, 3-5-lobed 

 segments ; peduncles not narrowed, scarcely exceeding the leaves ; 

 flowers large ; petals obovate-cuneate, nine- or many- veined, not 

 contiguous, persistent ; stamens numerous, exceeding the pistils ; 

 stigma tongue-shaped ; receptacle spherical; carpels semi-obovate, 

 very blunt. 



" Floating leaves convex, divided more than halfway down, more 

 than semicircular; outer base of the lateral segments much 

 rounded. Stipules broad, with a free, rounded end. Buds de- 

 pressed. Flowers star-like. Stamens 20-30. Style recurved. 

 Keceptacle as thick as the peduncle. Inner edge of the carpel 

 nearly straight." — Bab. Man. ed. 4. p. 7. 



R. peltatus, Schrank et Fries (Batz.) . Similar to heterophyllus, 

 but its submerged leaves with longer stalks ; petiole semicylin- 

 drical, furnished with less conspicuous auricles; floating leaves 

 peltate, roundish, heart-shaped, with three or five crenate lobes ; 

 peduncles slightly exceeding the leaves ; buds globular, depressed 

 receptacle ovate, hairy; petals obovate, rounded, contiguous, 

 large; carpels glabrous or downy, closely resembling those of 

 R. heterophyllus. 



The dichotomous arrangement of these plants is as follows: — 

 1. Receptacle globiilar 2 



Eeceptacle ovoid, conical, peduncles very long 8 



3. Petals obovate, rounded, contiguous 3 



Petals narrowed below and separate 6 



3. 12-15 stamens, upper leaves tripartite R. triphyllos. 



Stamens numerous, upper leaves lobed 4 



4. Pleating leaves reniform R. aquatilis {heteroph.) 



Pleating leaves peltate R. peltatus. 



