36 



RANUNCULACEyE. XIV. RANUNCULUS. 



spreading. This plant is very acrid and dangerous. Curtis 

 says, that even pulling up the plant, and carrying it to some little 

 distance, has produced a considerable inflammation in the palm 

 of the hand : that cattle in general will not eat it ; yet that some- 

 times when they are turned hungry into a new field of grass, or 

 have but a small spot to range in, they will feed on it, and hence 

 their mouths have become sore and blistered. According to 

 Linnaeus, sheep and goats eat it ; but kine, horses, and swine 

 refuse it. When made into hay it loses its acrid quality, but 

 then it seems to be too stalky and hard to afford much nourish- 

 ment ; if it be of any use it must be to correct by its warmth the 

 insipidity of grasses. It is called vulgarly butler-Jlomer, or butter- 

 cup, as well as R. rcpcns and R. bulbosus, under a notion that 

 the yellow colour of butter is owing to these plants. It is rich- 

 ness of the pasture that communicates this colour and not these 

 flowers, which the cattle seldom eat. 



Var. ft, multiplex (flowers double). If. H. Curt. bot. mag. 

 t. 215. This plant is cultivated in gardens under the name of 

 Yellow Bachelor's buttons. 



Var. y, syhaticus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 278.) petioles and leaves 

 velvety-villous on the under surface. 1.H. Native of Europe 

 in woods. R. sylvaticus, Thuil. fl. par. ed. 2. vol. 1. p. 276. 

 R. lanuginosus, ft. Fl. fr. ed. 3. vol. 4. p. 899. This variety is 

 perhaps a proper species ; it is much larger than the var. a, and 

 the flowers more numerous, but smaller, and somewhat corym- 

 bose. 



Var. S, multifidus (D. C. 1. c.) lobes of leaves deeply multifid. 

 "H.. H. R. polyanthemus, Lob. icon. 686. f. 1. This plant has 

 the appearance of R. polyanthemus, in the leaves being many- 

 parted, but it is more closely allied to R. acris, in the carpels 

 being terminated by straight points, not almost awnless, as well 

 as in the stem being covered with pressed pubescence, not pilose. 



Acrid, or Upright meadow Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. PI. 2 ft. 



109 R. BRUTIUS (Tenore. fl. neap. prod, suppl. 1. p. 61.) 

 leaves pubescent 3-5-parted, with 3-parted partitions, and lan- 

 ceolate bifid lobes ; stem erect, villous, many-flowered ; calyx 

 pressed, one-half shorter than the petals. y. . H. Native of 

 Naples on Mount Pollino. Tenore. fl. neap. 1. t. 50. Like R. 

 acris, but differing in the segments of the leaves being broader 

 and serrated, smoothish, not villous, as well as in the flowers 

 being twice the size. It differs from R. polyanthemus in the 

 leaves being digitately-parted, smoothish, and in the peduncles 

 being round and even, not striated. 



Brulian Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1823. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



110 R. STEVE'NI (Bess, enum.volhy.no. 683.) leaves 3-5- 

 parted, with wedge-shaped deeply toothed trifid segments, those 

 of the upper ones linear ; root with numerous fibres ; stem almost 

 naked ; peduncles round ; calyx hairy, spreading ; stigmas 

 spreading. % . H. Native of Volhynia and Podolia in meadows. 

 Like R. acris. 



Steven's Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1819. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



1 1 1 R. CAUCA'SICUS (Bieb. fl. cauc. 2. p. 27.) radical leaves 

 on long stalks, somewhat pubescent, 3-parted, with deeply 

 toothed trifid lobes ; stem leaves stalked, ternate, the uppermost 

 ones with linear lobes ; stem erect, fibrous at the neck ; pedicels 

 round ; calyx spreading, y. . H. Native of Caucasus in sub- 

 alpine situations. On grassy hills about Narza frequent. In 

 habit like R. acris, but with rather smaller flowers. Roots 

 fibrous, with black fibres rising from the base. Carpels com- 

 pressed, smooth, with hooked beaks. 



Caucasian Crowfoot. Fl. Ju. Jul. Clt. 1820. PI. l| to 2 feet. 



.112 R. RU'FULUS (Brot. fl. lus. 2. p. 367.) radical leaves 3-5- 

 parted ; lobes many-cleft ; lower cauline leaves stalked, 3- 

 parted, upper ones linear ; stem erect, solid, not fistular, and is, 

 as well as the round peduncles, villous ; calyx spreading. ! . H. 

 Native of Portugal, at the bottom of hills near Coimbra and 



elsewhere in Biera. R. chaerophyllos, var. e, Bir. ren. 42. 



Very nearly allied to R. acris. Root fascicled white. Stem 



clothed with subrufous hairs. Carpels compressed, acuminated. 



Rufous-haired Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. PI. 1 to 1 foot. 



113 R. POLYA'NTHEMUS (Lin. spec. 779.) leaves 3-S-palmate- 

 parted, with deeply multifid partitions and linear lobes; stem erect, 

 many-flowered, and is, as well as the petioles, covered with spread- 

 ing pili ; peduncles furrowed ; calyx hairy ; carpels almost awnless. 

 If.. H. Native of Holland, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Sweden, 

 Norway, in bushy places, coppices, and woods. R. polyanthos, 

 Neck. Gallop. 240. R. napellifolius, Crantz. austr. 2. p. 90. t. 4. 

 f. 1.? R. multiflorus, Gilib. in ust. del. 2. p. 418. Similar to R. 

 acris, var. y, but differs in the leaves being much more dissected 

 into narrower linear lobes, which are not toothed on the margins ; 

 stem and petioles more hairy ; peduncles furrowed, not round ; 

 calyx more hispid, as well as in the ovaries being about 20, not 

 50. 



Many-flowered Crowfoot. Fl. May.Ju. Clt. 1796. PI. 1 to 2 ft. 



114 R. NEMOROSUS (D.C. syst. 1. p. 280.) radical leaves 3-5- 

 cleft beyond the middle into wedge-shaped lobes, which are again 

 divided into lobules, which are toothed at the apex ; stem erect 

 and is, as well as the petioles, covered with spreading hairs ; pe- 

 duncles furrowed ; carpels terminated by hooked awns. "If. . H. 

 Native of Switzerland and France in woods. Like R . polyan- 

 themus. 



Var. a, multiflurus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 280.) stem many-flowered; 

 upper leaves divided into entire linear lobes. I/ . H. Native of 

 mountains at the foot of the Alps of Jura. R. polySnthemus 

 Sut. fl. helv. 1. p. 341. Habit of R. acris. 



Var. ft, pauciflorus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 280.) stem 1-3-flowered ; 

 upper leaves somewhat lobed and deeply toothed, uppermost ones 

 small. If. . H. Native of Vallais, Cevennes, Pyrenees, in sub- 

 alpine situations. R. dureus Schleich. pi. helv. R. villosus. St. 

 Amand. fl. agr. 227. bouq. t. 5. Habit of R. montanus. 



Grove Crowfoot. Fl. May, Jul. Clt. 1810. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



1 15 R. BREYNIA'NUS (Crantz. aust. ex Spreng. syst. 2. p. 654.) 

 stem erect, many-flowered, and is, as well as the leaves, villous ; 

 radical leaves palmate, 3-5-parted ; lobes obovate-oblong, toothed ; 

 floral leaves quite entire ; peduncles furrowed ; calyx spreading ; 

 carpels with hooked points. If. . H. Native of the south of 

 Europe in subalpine situations. R. nemorosus var. ft, D. C. syst. 

 l.p. 280. prod. 37? 



Breynius's Crowfoot. Fl. May. July. Clt. ? PI. 1 foot. 



116 R. LANUGINOSUS (Lin. spec. 779.) leaves trifid, silky, 

 with broad toothed rather cut lobes ; stem erect, many-flowered, 

 and is, as well as the petioles, clothed with reflexed hairs ; pe- 

 duncles round ; carpels flat, terminated by hooked awns. If. . H. 

 Native of Montpelier, Dauphiny, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, 

 Denmark, Hungary, Tauria, Greece, in wooded mountains. Fl. 

 dan. t. 397. Smith fl. grsec. t. 519. A very distinct species 

 from its congeners in the leaves being much broader and silky on 

 both surfaces with pressed hairs. 



Var. ft, geranitfblius (D. C. syst. 1. p. 281.) upper leaves 

 3-parted into oblong acuminate coarsely serrated lobes. If. . H. 

 R. montanus subhirsutus, &c. C. Bauh. pin. 182. Tourn. 

 inst. 291. 



Var. y, pdrvulus (D. C. prod. 1. p. 37.) stem 1-2-flowered ; 

 leaves very minute. l/.H. Native of the Alps of Jura. 



Var. S, 'Constantinopolitanus (D. Urv. enum. pi. arch. no. 476.) 

 radical leaves very large, on very long footstalks, trifid, with 

 broad cut lobes, upper ones jagged, with linear segments all silky 

 lanuginous ; stem erect, lanuginous, many-flowered ; calyx re- 

 flexed ; carpels flat, somewhat orbicular, terminated by hooked 

 awns. If. . H. Native in hedges about Constantinople, fre- 

 quent. 



Woolly-leaved. Crowfoot. Fl. Ju.Jul. Clt. 1683. PI. 1 to H ft. 



