RANUNCULACE^E. 7 



5. HYDRASTIS. Linn. 



Sepals 3, ovate. Petals none. Stamens and ovaries nu- 

 merous. Carpels berry-like, numerous, aggregated in a head, 

 terminated by the style, 1-celled, 2-seeded. 



Polyandria. Polygynia. 



H. canadensis Linn. 



HAB. Rocks woods. Can. to Car. W. to Miss. Rare. May. 

 11. Stem 68 inches high, with 2 nearly opposite leaves above. 

 Leaves petiolate, emarginate at base, incisely serrate. Flower 

 solitary, pedunculate, reddish white. Fruit fleshy, red, like that 

 of a Rubus. The root affords a juice of a fine yellow colour, 

 which is used by the Indians for staining skins and clothing. 



Yellow Pucoon* 



6. RANUNCULUS. Linn. 



Sepals 5, not deciduous. Petals 5, rarely 10, with a honey 

 scale at the base on the inside. Stamens and ovaries numer- 

 ous. CVzrpefe ovate, somewhat compressed, terminating in a 

 point or horn, smooth, striated, or tuberculated, arranged 

 in a globose or cylindric head. Polyandria. Polygynia. 



* Carpels transversely rugosc-striate. Petals white. 



1. R. aquatilis, var. capittaceus De Cand. : stem filiform, floating ; 

 leaves all submersed, divided into capillary diverging segments ; petals 

 obovate, longer than the calyx. R. Jluviatilis Wild. Pursh. 



HAB. In streams. Throughout the U. S. and British America, 

 N. to lat. 68. July, Aug. 2_f . Stem long. Leaves petioled. 

 Flowers small, white. There are several varieties of R. aquati- 

 lis, which have been described as distinct species. 



Water Crowfoot. 



** Carpels smooth, ovate, collected into a roundish head. Floicers yellow. 

 t Leaves undivided. 



2. R. lingua Linn. : leaves lanceolate, subserrate, semiamplexicaul ; 

 stem erect, smooth, succulent, many-flowered. 



HAB. Banks of streams. N. S. July, Aug. 2J..Stem 23 feet 



high, with erect branches. Leaves very long, linear-lanceolate. 



. . Floicers large. Great Spearwort. 



3. R. fiammula Linn. : leaves glabrous, linear-lanceolate or sub-ovate, 

 subentire, the lower ones petiolate ; stem more or less decumbent, root- 

 ing ; peduncles opposite to the leaves. R. fiammula, var. major Hook. 



HAB. Swamps. Can. to. Virg. July, Sept. If. Stem 1218 

 inches high, succulent. Flowers smaller than in the former. 

 Said to be a powerful and speedy emetic. Small Spearwort. 



4. R. reptans Linn. : leaves linear, entire, remote, smooth ;' stem 

 filiform, creeping, jointed ; joints 1-flowered. R. Jiliformis Mich. R. 

 reptans ,\w. JUiformis De Cand. Torr. R.fammula, \wc.Jiliformis Hook< 



