DIALYPETALOUS EXOGENS 



Stem 3 or 4 to 6 feet high, rather stout, branching, furrowed and fistular. Leaves 

 pinnately decompound. Flowers in large and very compound panicles, greenish 

 white. 

 Hob. Wet meadows, and along rivulets: frequent. Fl. June, July. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. There are some varieties of this, which have heretofore 

 passed for species. 



. TRIBE 3. RANUNCULE V AE. 



Sepals imbricated in the bud; petals conspicuous, flat; carpels numerous, 1-seeded. 

 Stein-leaves alternate. Mostly perennial herbs. 



5. RAJVUKKCITLIJS, L. 



[Latin, Rana, a frog; the plant often growing where frogs abound.] 

 Sepals 5. Petals usually 5, mostly longer than the sepals, each 

 with a little scale, or pit, at base inside. Carpels in a head, com- 

 pressed, pointed. 



1. Petals pitted at base, whitish; Carpels transversely rugose: Plants aquatic. 



1. R. a< i iiat i 1 i s, L. Stem floating ; leaves usually all immersed 

 and filiformly dissected. 



WATER RANUNCULUS. River Crow-foot. 



Stems several, immersed and procumbently floating, 9 to 18 inches long, slender, 

 radicating at the nodes. Leaves di- or tri-chotomously multifid, the filiform seg- 

 ments aggregated in little dark-green bundles or tufts. Peduncles opposite the 

 leaves. 



Hob. Plowing waters; Brandywine: frequent. Fl. June, Aug. Fr. Aug. Sept. 

 2. Petals with a little scale at base, yellow : Carpels smooth. 

 f Leaves all undivided : Plants glabrous. 



2. R. Fli'umimla, L. Stem reclining, rooting at the lower 

 nodes ; leaves lanceolate ; carpels with a slender beak. 



LITTLE FLAME, OR FIERY RANUNCULUS. Spear-wort. 



Stem 1 to 2 feet long, assurgent, sparingly branched, often dichotomous at sum- 

 mit. Leaves 2 or 3 to 6 or 7 inches long. Peduncles axillary, or opposite the leaves. 

 Hob. Ditches, and miry places : frequent. Fl. July. Fr. Aug. Sept. 



Obs. This is a very acrid plant. The bruised herb has been used 

 to raise blisters ; and the distilled water is said to be a prompt and 

 efficacious emetic. I am not quite sure it is indigenous here. 



3. R, reptailS, L. Stem slender, prostrate, rooting at the 

 nodes; leaves linear-lanceolate; carpels few, with a minute blunt 

 point. 



CRAWLING RANUNCULUS. 



Stem 6 to 12 inches long, very slender and thread-like, geniculate, or forming- 

 undulating curves of about an inch in span. Leaves few, half an inch to an inch 

 long. Flowers solitary at the nodes, on slender peduncles. 

 Hob. Muddy margin of Schuylkill : rare. Fl. July, Aug. Fr. Sept. 



4. R. |>ll sill IIS, Pair. Stem ascending or erect; root-leaves 

 ovate or roundish, upper leaves lance-oblong; carpels scarcely 

 pointed. 



PUNY RANUNCULUS. 



Stem 6 to 12 inches high, flimsy, but generally erect, dichotomously branching- 



