RANUNCULUS.] RAXUNCULACE^E. 9 



entire, not beaked. Sepals 3-5. Petals 8-12, yellow ; gland with a scale, 

 Aehenes small. 



15. R. Fica'ria, L. ; leaves cordate obtusely angled or crenate. 



Pilewort or Lesser Celandtiie. 



Pastures and waste places ; ascends to 2,400 ft. in Wales ; fl. March-May. 

 Glabrous. Root of stout cylindric tubers. Stem short, decumbent, branched 

 at the base. Leaves variable, on stout petioles with dilated stipular bases. 

 Peduncles stout, axillary, 1-flowered. flowers about 1 in. diam., bright 

 yellow. Head of large subglobose smooth achenes globular ; style minute. 

 DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), \V. Asia, and N. Africa. 



VAE. 1, diver' gens, F. Schultz ; lobes of lowest leaves not overlapping at the 

 base, lowest sheaths narrow. VAR. 2, incum'bens, F. Schultz ; lobes of 

 lowest leaves overlapping at the base, lowest sheaths amplexicauL 



6. CALi'THA, L. MARSH MARIGOLD. 



Herbs with stout creeping rootstocks. Leaves chiefly radical, cordate. 

 Flowers terminal, few, white or yellow. Sepals 5 or more, petaloid, deci- 

 duous, imbricate. Petals 0. Carpels several, sessile ; ovules numerous, in 

 two series. Follicles numerous, many-seeded. Seeds with a prominent 

 raphe and thickened funicle. DISTRIB. N. and S. temp, and cold 

 regions ; species 5-6. ETYM. tcd\a.6os, a cup. 



1. C. palus'tris, L. ; leaves orbicular reniform or deltoid toothed. 



Marshes and ditch-banks ; ascends to 3,400 ft. in the Highlands ; fl. March- 

 May. A coarse,, glabrous, dark green, showy, very variable pjant. Root- 

 stock short, horizontal. Stem 8 in. -3ft., suberect, prostrate, or procumbent 

 and rooting from all the nodes. Stipules very large, membranous glairy, 

 quite entire in bud and enclosing the young leaf, as in Magnoliaceve 



'. (Oickson). Floirers 1-2 in. diam., bright golden yellow. Sepals unequal, 

 obovate or oblong. Follicles -g in. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. and W. 

 Asia to the Himalaya, N. America. 



Sub-sp. PALUS'TRIS proper ; nodes not rooting, radical leaves orbicular-reni- 

 form deeply 2-lobed at the base crenate-toothed, sinus narrow. VAR. 1, 

 rulga'ris, Schott (sp. ); stem ascending many-flowered, flowers 1^-2 in. diam., 

 sepals contiguous, follicles spreading, beak short. VAR. 2, truerangdrii, 

 Boreau (sp. ) ; stem ascending, flowers many smaller, sepals remote when 

 expanded, follicles spreading, beak longer. Probably C. ripa'ria, Don, and 

 the origin of the double-flowered Calt/M of the garden. VAR. 3, mi'nor, 

 Syme; stem procumbent, flower solitary ^-1 in. diam., sepals remote, 

 follicles erect, beak short. Mountainous places. 



Sub-sp. RAD'ICANS, Farxter (sp. ) ; rooting at the nodes, radical leaves deltoid 

 obscurely 5-angled truncate or reniform at the base, toothed, -teeth trian- 

 gular. Forfarshire, Don (known now in cultivation only). 



7. TROL'liluS, L. GLOBE-FLOWER. 



Erect perennial herbs. Leaves alternate, palmately lobed or cut. 

 Flov-ers terminal, large, yellow or lilac. Sepals 5-15, petaloid, imbricate. 

 Petals 5-15, small, narrow, claw very short, blade with a glandular pit 

 at the base. Stamens very many. Carpels 5 or more, sessile ; ovules 

 many, 2 -seriate. Follicles, 5 or more. Seeds angled, testa coriaceous. 



