RANUNCULACE^E. XIV. RANUNCULUS. 



pressed, and marginate. 1. H. Native of North America, 

 not unfrequent on the low points of land near rivers on the north- 

 west coast. This species comes very near to R. dichotomus, 

 D. C. and R.fascicularis, Muhl. 



Hard-beaked-\eaveA Crowfoot. Fl. May, Jul. Clt. 1826. Pl.l ft. 



161 R. BULBO'SUS (Lin. spec. 778.) radical leaves stalked, 

 ternate or quinate-pinnate, with trifid or qninquifid deeply- 

 toothed 3-lobed segments ; middle segment stalked ; stem erect, 

 bulbous at the neck ; calyx reflexed ; petals obcordate. Tf. . H. 

 Native throughout Europe in pastures, meadows, grass-plats, 

 and waste ground every where ; also in North America. Smith, 

 eng. bot. 8. t. 515. Curt. lond. fasc. 1. t. 38. Mart. rust. t. 28. 

 Mill, illustr. t. 51. Fl. dan. t. 551. Plant more or less hairy. 

 This species though acrid is commonly eaten along with other 

 herbage, by domestic cattle. The root, which is said to be the 

 most acrid part of the plant, and which is said to raise blisters 

 with less pain and more safety than Spanish flies ; hence these 

 roots have been applied for that purpose, particularly to the 

 joints in cases of gout. According to Hoffman, beggars make 

 use of them to blister their skin, with a view of exciting compas- 

 sion. The juice of the herb is said to be more acrid than that 

 of R. sceleratus, and if applied to the nostrils excites sneezing. 

 The roots lose their stimulating quality by drying, and are even 

 eatable when boiled. Hogs are fond of them, and frequently 

 dig them up. The flowers are vulgarly called butter-Jlomer, 

 butter-cups, king's-cups, gold-cups, and they are the cuckoo buds of 

 yellow hue of Shakspeare. R. repens and R. acris, however, are 

 all confounded under these names by the vulgar. 



Far. (3, multiplex; flowers double. This, with the double 

 flowering R. acris, is called in the gardens Double yellow Bache- 

 lor's buttons. 



Far. y, bractehtus (Schleich. pi. helv. or brachiatus, Schleich. 

 cat.) 



Bulbous-rooted Crowfoot. Fl. May, Ju. Britain. PI. J to 2 ft. 



SECT. V. ECHINE'LLA (EX^'OC, echinos, a hedge-hog ; in 

 allusion to the prickly or tubercled carpels,) D. C. prod. 1. p. 41. 

 carpels scabrous, with tubercles or prickles (f. 9. e.) Annual plants 

 with small yellow flowers. 



1 . Leaves dissected. 



162 R. PHILONOTIS (Retz. obs. 6. p. 31.) leaves 3-lobed or 

 ternate, with deeply-toothed blunt lobes ; middle lobe stalked ; 

 calyx reflexed ; stem erect, many-flowered ; carpels bearing a 

 row of small tubercles at the margin. 0. H. Native of south 

 and middle Europe in moist meadows and waste or cultivated 

 ground that is liable to be overflowed by water ; also in North 

 America in old meadow and low wet grounds, from New England 

 to Pennsylvania. R. bulbosus, var. ft. Huds. 241. R. agrarius, 

 All. auct. p. 27. R. sardous, Crantz. austr. 2. p. 84. R. palli- 

 dior, Vill. dauph. 4. p. 751. R. hirsutus, Ait. hort. kew, ed. 1. 

 vol. 2. p. 268. Curt. lond. 2. t. 40. Smith, engl. bot. t. 1504. 

 R. pallidus, Reiss. in Schrad. journ. bot. 1. p. 425. R. Palensis, 

 Berg. fl. bass. pyr. 2. p. 405. Herb very variable in luxuri- 

 ance, of a paler hue than most of this genus, and clothed with 

 fine silky spreading hairs. The name sardous, given by Jacquin, 

 on account of its being supposed to be the plant that caused the 

 sardonic laugh. 



Far. ft, intermedius (Poir. diet. 6. p. 116.) leaves almost with- 

 out hairs. . H. Native in humid places. R. pumilus, Thuil. 

 fl. par. ed. 2. vol. 1. p. 277, but not of Poir. 



Far. y, pdrvulus (Lin. mant. 76.) stem dwarfish, usually 1- 

 flowered. Q. H. Native in dry, stony, arid, exposed places. 

 R. parvifl&rus, Gouan. fl. monsp. 270. 



Moisture-loving or Pale-hairy Crowfoot. Fl. June, Oct. Bri- 

 tain. PL | to 1 foot. 



163 R. LACINIA'TUS (Baugm. enum. str. trans. 2. p. 131. 

 Schlecht. anim. 2. p. 36.) stem erect, silky-villous as well as 

 the leaves, which are ternate-3-parted ; segments trifid, linear, 

 toothed ; peduncles elongated, filiform, densely pilose ; calyx 

 spreading; carpels muricated and mucronate. . H. Native 

 of Trannsylvania on dry mountains. 



Jagged-leaved Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1828. PI. 1 ft. 



164 R. TUBERCCLA'TUS (Kit. ex. Balb. cat. hort. taur. 1813. 

 p. 64.) leaves smooth, deeply multifid, with linear acute lobes ; 

 stem erect, many-flowered ; carpels compressed, furnished with 

 very blunt tubercles at the sides. 0. H. Native of Hungary, 

 Iberia, and north of Tauria in corn fields. Very like R. arven- 

 sis, but differing in the carpels being tubercled, not prickly. 



Tubercled-carpelled Crowfoot. Fl.Ju.Jul. Clt. 1817. PI. 1 ft. 



165 R. ARVE'NSIS (Lin. spec. 780.) leaves smooth, first ones 

 toothed at the apex ; radical ones 3-parted ; cauline ones multi- 

 fid, with linear lobes ; stem erect, many-flowered ; carpels very 

 prickly at the sides. 0. H. Native throughout middle and 

 south Europe in corn fields common ; in North America about 

 Charlestown. Engl. bot. t. 135. Curt. lond. fasc. 6. t. 36. 

 Mart. rust. t. 56. Fl. dan. t. 219. R. echinatus, Crantz. aust. 2. 

 p. 118. but not of Lin. This plant is very acrid and dangerous 

 to cattle, though they are said to eat it greedily. M. Brugnon, 

 who has given a particular account of its qualities, relates that 

 three ounces of the juice killed a dog in 4 minutes. Several 

 sheep were killed by feeding on this herb near Turin, which first 

 led to an investigation of the matter. Cholic, with inflammation 

 of the stomach, were the symptoms, which were best removed 

 by pouring vinegar down the animals' throats. Hence, like most 

 vegetable poisons, this Crowfoot seems to act on the nerves, and 

 yet black spots were found in the sheep's stomachs. 



Far. ft, orientalis echinatus, arvensis, crassiore fructu, Vaill. 

 herb. The carpels of this variety are almost double the size of 

 those of var. o, and the prickle much longer. 



Corn-Jield Crowfoot. Fl. June, Aug. Britain. PI. 1 foot. 



166 R. MURICA TUS (Lin. spec. 780.) leaves smooth, stalked, 

 somewhat orbicular, 3-lobed, and coarsely toothed ; stem rather 

 erect, or diffuse ; peduncles opposite the leaves ; calyx spread- 

 ing ; carpels beset with prickly tubercles, each ending in a straight 

 acuminated horn. . H. Native throughout the whole region 

 of the Mediterranean, from Portugal to Tauria in low humid 

 places. A very variable plant, therefore many names have been 

 given to it by authors. Smith, fl. graec. t. 522. Lam. ill. 498. 

 Clus. hist. 233. f. 2. 



Far. ft, Creticus (D.C. prod. 1. p. 42.) stem erect. Mor. hist. 

 2. p. 440. sect. 4. t. 29. f. 24. Native of Crete. 



Far. -y, Caroltnus (D. C. prod. 1. p. 42.) petals longer than 

 the calyx. Native of Carolina and Virginia. R. muricatus,. 

 Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 321. R. echinatus, Vent. eels. t. 73. 



Far. 3, Tucumdnicus (D. C. prod. 1. p. 42.) carpels less acu- 

 minated. Native of South America near the river Plate. R. 

 palustris echinatus. Fewill. obs. 3. p. 58. t. 18. 



Far. c, Brasilianus (D. C. prod. 1. p. 42.) sheaths of petioles 

 dilated. Native of Brazil by the sea-side in humid places. R. 

 ventricosus, Vent. eels. 73. R. muricatus, St. Hil. fl. bras. p. 7. 



Muricated-caryelled Crowfoot. Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt. 1683. Pl.jft. 



167 R. ciiius (D. C. syst. 1. p. 300.) leaves rather villous, 

 cordate, orbicular, broadly toothed ; stems erect, villous; pedi- 

 cels opposite the leaves ; calyx reflexed ; carpels tubercled, each 

 ending in an acuminated hooked horn. . H. Native of the 

 island of Scio. Root calyx, and petals like those of R. philond- 

 tis. Leaves like those of R. parviflorus, and with the carpels of 

 R. muricatus. 



Scio Crowfoot. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1827. PI. foot. 



168 R. CORNUTUS (D. C. syst. 1. p. 300.) leaves smooth, 

 biternate ; segments 3-lobed, with the lobes oblong-linear, acute ; 



