^^^ RANUNCULACE^E. 9 



10. R. lacustris Beck and Tracy : stem elongated ; emersed leaves 

 reniform, 3 many parted ; submersed ones cleft into numerous capilla- 

 ry segments ; petals 5 8, obovate, twice as long as the sepals ; nec- 

 tary concave ; fruit subglobose. JR. multifidus Pursh. R- PursliiiHook. 

 HAB. Stagnant waters. N. S. N. to near the Arctic Sea, W. to 

 the Rocky, mountains. May, June. 1. Stem 3 4 feet 

 long. Flowers large, shining, bright yellow. When the plant 

 grows in water the leaves are divided into capillary segments, but 

 when found on muddy banks they are often rounded or reni- 

 form, and divided into only 3 5 blunt segments. Hence the 

 reason why this plant has been made the basis of several dis- 

 tinct species. I should observe that the more common state of 

 it was for a long time mistaken by our botanists for R. fluviati- 

 lis; as was first shown by Mr. James G. Tracy and myself, in 

 1822. (N. Y. Med. # Phys. Jour.} The name R. multifidus, 

 applied to it by Pursh, had previously been appropriated by Sir 

 J. E. Smith to a totally distinct species from Egypt. De Can- 

 dolle gives a new name to the Egyptian plant, retaining Pursh' s 

 name for the present one ; while Dr. Hooker unites several'sup- 

 posed distinct species under the name of R. Purshii. On the 

 whole I have thought best to retain the name imposed by us : 

 though an attentive examination has satisfied me that the plant 

 is much more variable than I had formerly supposed. 



11. R. acrls Linn. : leaves mostly pubescent, 3-parted ; lobes incise- 

 ly toothed, acute ; upper ones linear ; stem erect, many-flowered, sub- 

 pubescent ; peduncles terete, not furrowed ; calyx spreading, sub-vil- 

 lose ; carpels terminated by nearly a straight point. 



HAB. Meadows. N. S. May Aug. 1. Stem varying much 

 in height, mostly hairy. Floicers bright yellow, shining. A 

 specimen in the herbarium of Dr. T. R. Beck, labelled by Muh- 

 lenberg R. sanicula/ormis, is identical with the present species. 



Meadow Crowfoot. 



12. R. rqjens Linn. : leaves ternate ; leafets wedgeform, 3-lobed, in- 

 cisely dentate ; central one petiolate ; main stems prostrate ; flowering 

 ones erect ; peduncles furrowed ; calyx pilose, spreading ; carpels with 

 a straight point. 



HAB. Wet meadows. Can. to Car. June Sept. U> Plant 

 increasing by runners. Flowering stems erect, 1 2 feet high. 

 Flowers middle sized. I am disposed to unite with this species 

 R. nitidus of Muhlenberg and Hooker. 



13. R. clintonii Beck : somewhat hairy ; stems creeping and rooting 

 at each of the joints ; lower leaves on long petioles, ternate ; leafets 

 toothed and incised, cuneate, terminal one petioled ; floral leaves in- 

 cised or linear ; peduncle 1 3 flowered ; petals rounded ; calyx 

 spreading ; carpels margined, with a short uncinate style. R. prostra- 

 tus Eat. 



HAB. Banks of the canal near Rome, Oneida co. N. Y. June, 

 July. 21. Much smaller than JR. repens, at least of American 

 botanists, in all its parts except the flower, which is of a bright 

 yellow and about as large as that of jR. acris. Leaves seldom 



