6 RANUNCULACEJE. [Ranunculus. 



Brackish waters near the sea, from Caithness southd. ; Ireland ; fl. June- 

 Sept. — Floating leaves reniform or broader than long, basal sinus broad, 

 3-lobed or -partite, segments sessile or petiolulate, cuneate, crenate or lobed ; 

 submerged not collapsing when removed from the water ; stipules broad, 

 rounded. Petals not touching, much longer than the sepals. Stamen* 

 shorter or longer than the pistil. Achenes very many, small, glabrous or 

 hairy ; stigma usually hooked. — Distrib. W. Europe. 



The R. mavi'nus proper (i.e. of Fries) has no floating leaves (like R. 

 salsugino'sus, Hiern), and few stamens. — R.confu'sus, Godr.,is characterized 

 by its more slender tapering peduncles, stamens many exceeding the 

 pistil, ovoid-conic receptacles and ^-ovate compressed achenes narrowed 

 upwards, and R. Baudo'tii, Godr., as having stout pedicels, stamens many 

 not exceeding the pistil, long conic receptacles and |-obovate achenes with 

 inflated tops : — characters which I cannot verify as constant in either case. 



** Aquatic. Floating leaves rarely present ; submerged numerous, multifd. 

 Petals 5-9-nerved. Receptacles glabrous or ha in/. 



3. R. flu'itans, Lamk. ; stems long robust, submerged leaves with few 

 long narrow rigid tassel-like segments, peduncles much longer than the 

 leaves, flowers f— 1 in, diani., petals broadly obovate, receptacle 

 glabrous, achenes few large turgid. R. pcucedanifo'lius, Schrank. 

 Rivers and running streams from the Clyde southd. ; Ireland ; fl. June- 



Aug.—Stem several feet long and usually stout. Leaves 3-9-in. long, long 

 petioled, black, forming flaccid or rather rigid tassels ; floating leaves very 

 rare, 3-lobed or -partite or -foliolate, segments sometimes petiolulate ; 

 stipules broad, rounded. Peduncles very long and robust. Petals often 

 more than 5, and 2-seriate. Stamens many, short or long. Achenes com- 

 pressed, glabrous; stigma short, thick. — Distrib. Europe. — R. Ba'chii, 

 Wirtg., is a small form, more slender, with subsessile more divided leaves 

 and narrower petals. 



4. R. trichophyl'lus, Chaix ; submerged leaves usually subsessile, 

 black and rigid, not collapsing when removed from the water, peduncles 

 stout, shorter than the leaves, flowers \-\ in. diam., petals small 

 narrow distant, receptacle glabrous, achenes few. R. pantothrix, Brot. 



Water -fennel. 



Still waters from Orkney southd. ; Ireland ; fl. May-June. — Floating 

 leaves, if present, 3-lobed, -partite, or sometimes 3-foliolate, submerged ; 

 2-3-chotomously multifid; stipules large, rounded. Peduncles about 

 equalling the leaves, or shorter, not tapering. Stamens few, longer than the 

 pistil. Achenes glabrous or hairy ; stigma short, thick. — Distrib. Europe, 

 W. Asia, Himalaya, N. America. — R. Droue'tii, F. Schultz, has paler, 

 more flaccid submerged leaves, the mid segment of the floating ones when 

 present often deflexed. — R. radians, Rev., and R. God ronii, Gren., and R. divcr- 

 sifolius, H. Wats., are forms with floating leaves. — Var. confer void is is a 

 depauperated northern form from Rescobie Loch in Forfarshire, which is 

 the original R. aguatilis of Linnseus's Flora Lapponica. It is probably not 

 rare in the north. 



5. R. circina'tus, Sibth. ; floating leaves 0, submerged small sessile 

 orbicular, segments in one plane rigid, peduncles much longer than the 



