ORDER 1. RAXUNCULACEJS. 207 



and hills. Root a cluster of fleshy fibres. Root Iva. on petioles 38' long, ter- 

 nate, with the middle segment loug-stalked and again pinnately ternate ; lateral 

 segm. mostly sessile, all 3 5 cleft into acute lobes. Stems never creeping. 

 Pubescence silky, appressed. Fls. bright yellow, 1' broad. Petals spatulato- 

 obovate, with a broad scale. Beak of the carpels slender. Apr., May. 



13 R. repens L. Root fibrous; radical Ivs. ternate with stalked leaflets; pedun- 

 cles furrowed; carp, broadly margined and pointed. In moist and shady places. 

 Early flowering stems erect ; later branches from the base prostrate, 1 3 if 

 long, generally hirsute at the base. Petioles hairy, long. Lvs. hairy on the ' 

 veins, dark green, ternate, the Ifts. ovate or broadly crenate, variously lobed and 

 cleft, all (or at least the middle ones) petiolulate. Fls. middle size, bright yel- 

 low. Fr. in a round head. May, Jl. Varies exceedingly in different localities 

 and stages of growth. Some of its more striking forms are : 



/3. LINEARILOBUS. St. very long, floriferous, smoothish ; lobes of Ivs. very nar- 

 row. Fruit not strongly margined. 



y. HISPIDUS. Stem and petioles densely hirsute with soft-spreading hairs ; Ifts. 

 all distinctly stalked, deeply parted. Fr. short-pointed. 



6. NITIDUS. Mostly erect, glabrous ; fls. large, sep. reflexed ; fr. strongly mar- 

 gined. Common South. Probably a distinct species. 



14 R. palmatua Ell. Lvs. palmately 3 5 cleft or divided, with the sinus at base 

 dosed, the segm. all sessile and cut-toothed or lobed; carp, few, margined, and 

 straight-beaked. In wet barrens, Car. to Fla. St. 12 18' high, with a few 

 slender branches, pubescent. Lvs. all petiolate, pentangular in outline, 1 2' 

 wide, with appressed pubescence. Upper Ivs. of 3 linear segments. Fls. few, 

 yellow, small (6 8" diam.) Fr. compressed. 



15 R. acria L. BUTTER-CUPS. St. erect, many-flowered ; Ivs. more or less pu- 

 bescent, deeply trifid, with the base segm. divaricate, all laciniats, upper ones with 

 linear segments; ped. terete; cal. hairy, spreading; carp, roundish, smooth, com- 

 pressed ; beak short, recurved. This is the most common species in N. Eng. and 

 Can., in meadows and pastures, rapidly and extensively spreading. St. 1 2f 

 high, round, hollow, mostly hairy. Lvs. 1J 3' diam., upper ones in 3 linear seg- 

 ments. Fls. large (!' diam.), golden yellow. Jn., Sept. 



ft. PL&N-A. Fls. double, the petals excessively multiplied. Gardens. 



16 R. Pemisylvanicus L. Hirsute, with stiff, spreading hairs ; Ivs. ternate, Ifts. 

 sub-petiolate, deeply 3-lobed, incisely serrate ; cal. reflexed, rather longer than the 

 roundish petals ; carp, tipped with a short, straight style. A. very hairy species 

 in wet grounds, Can. and IT. S. Stem 1J 3f high. Lvs. 2 3' diam., Ifts. 

 strongly veined and with spreading segments. Fls. numerous, small, bright 

 yellow. Fruit in dense oblong or cylindrical heads. Jn., Aug. (R. hispidus 

 Ph.) 



17 R. sceleratus Ph. Smooth; lower Ivs. 3-parted, segm. 3-lobed, crenately 

 incised, or entire; carp, minute, 2)ointless. Grows in wet places, Can. to Ga. 

 St. rather thick, hollow, much branched, 1 IJf high. Lower petioles 3 5' 

 long, with rather large, palmately 3 5-p?.rted leaves. Floral Ivs. or bracts 

 mostly simple, lanceolate and entire. Fls. small, yellow. Cal. reflexed, as long 

 as the minute petals. Hds. of carpels only 2 3" long. This is one of the most 

 acrid of the tribe, and will raiso blisters upon the skin. Jn., Jl. 



18 R. recurvatus L. Hirsute with thin, spreading hairs; Ivs. all similarly 3-parted, 

 segm. oval, unequally incised, the lateral ones 2-lobed; cal. recurved, longer 

 than the lanceolate petals; ach. with a hooked beak. About ]f high, in damp 

 woods. Lab. to Fla. Pale green, branching above. Lvs. 1| 2' long, 2 3' 

 wide, on petioles 3 6' long. Upper Ivs. subsessile and 3-parted quite to the 

 base. Fls. small, with inconspicuous, pale yellow petals. Carp, ovate, tipped 

 with long, hooked beaks. May Jl. 



19 R. bulbosiis L. Hairy ; st. erect, bulbous at the base ; radical Ivs. ternate, 

 Ifts. petiolate, incisely dentate, each about 3-cleft ; ped. furrowed, cal. reflexed. 

 This is another acrid species, very common in pastures, mow-lands, &<x Rt. 

 fleshy. St. leafy, furrowed, 6 18' high, hollow, thickened at the base into a 

 sort of bulb, and dividing above into upright peduncles, with golden yellow 



