BASUHCULACEJE. (CBOWFOOT FAMILY.) 17 



1. A. nemorosa, L. (WooD AXEMONE.) Smooth or somewhat villous; stems 

 from a slender rootstock, 3 to 12 inches high, without radical leaves, one-flowered; invo- 

 lucre of 3 petioled ternato leaves, the divisions cuneate-oblong to ovate, incisely toothed 

 or lobed, or the lateral ones 2-parted, about an inch long; the 4 to 7 sepals pinkish or 

 white; akencs 12 to 20, oblong, with a hooked beak, 



Here belongs Thalictrum Fendleri, Englm. A smooth apetalons dkecious herb; also, 

 rus minimus, L. A very small herb, with a tuffc of linear or spatulate entire 

 radical leaveg, and solitary flowers on simple scapes; called MouzfMail, from its loii^, 

 narrow receptacle, densely covered with small akenes. 



I 

 3. RANUNCULUS, L. BCTTEBCUP. 



Sepals usually 5. Petals 3 to 18, Pistils numerous. Akmre in a head, usually flat- 

 tened, beaked with the persistent style. 



1. Aquatic herbs; petals trfdte, with^ a pit at tJie base, tit* claw yellow; akems trans- 

 versely icrinkkd. 



1. R. hederaceus, L., var. Glabrous; stems 6 to 12 inches long, floating; leave* 

 commonly all floating, 3 to 8 lines wide, deeply 3-lobed, truncate or cordate at the base; 

 the lobes equal, oval or oblong, the lateral ones usually with a broad notch in the apex; 

 submersed leaves none or rudimentary and resembling adventitious roots; peduncle* 

 opposite the upper leaves, thicker than the petiole, 6 to 8 lines -long; sepals a line long; 

 petals 2 lines long, obovate oblong; stamens 5 to 9; akenes 4 to 6. 



2. R. aquatais, L., var. tricophylltis, Chair. Stems long, filiform; leaves all 

 submersed and cut into numerous capillary segments, which are 4 to 10 lines long; flowers 

 3 to 5 lines in diameter; akenes numerous in a globular head. 



2. Terrestrial herbs, but often growing in wet places; sepals green; petals yellow, wUk 

 a scale at tfte base; akenes neither wrinkled nor Jtispid. 



* AH the leaves vndanded, the margins entire. 



3. R. Flamnula, L., var. reptans, Gr. Glabrous throughout; stems filiform, creep- 

 ing and rooting at the joints, 4 to 10 inches long; leaves mostly lanceolate and acute at 

 each end, entire; flowers 2 to 5 lines in diameter; petals broadly obovate, one half longer 

 than the sepals; akenes few, in a small globular head, plump, smooth; beak very short 

 and curved. 



4. R. alismaeiolins, Geyer. Similar to the last species, but with stootish, erect 

 terns, longer flowers and obtuse leaves; akenes straight-beaked. 



* * Some or att the leaves Urnately compound. 



5. R. Califormcos, Benth. More or less hairy; stems erect, or nearly so, 12 to IB 

 inches high; radical leaves, commonly piimately ternate, the leaves laciniately cut into 

 3 to 7 parts, which are usually linear; flowers bright yellow, 5 to 10 lines in 



