RANUNCULUS. 



215 



Ranunculus chaerophyllus (Chervil 

 Buttercup). A hardy, tuberous-rooted 

 kind, 8 in. to 1 ft. high. Flowers, in 

 early summer ; brilliant glistening 

 yellow, more than 1 in. across ; divi- 

 sions of calyx persistent, not reflexed. 

 Leaves, stalked, much divided; seg- 

 ments very narrow; stem slightly 

 downy. Portugal. The rock-gar- 

 den, and the margins -of the mixed 

 border, in fine sandy soil. Division. 



Ranunculus glacialis (Glacier Crow- 

 foot]. A very high alpine species ; 3 

 to 6 in. high. Flowers, in summer ; 

 white, tinted with purplish rose on 

 the outside, from 1 to 5 on a stem ; 

 calyx soft, with shaggy, brownish 

 hairs ; petals roundish, slightly notched, 

 as long as the calyx. Leaves, usually 

 smooth, the upper ones sometimes 

 villous, palmately 3-parted or ternate, 

 the lobes deeply cut, and of a dark 

 brownish - green. Alps of Europe, 

 among rocks near the limits of per- 

 petual snow. Cool and very moist 



spots in the rock-garden, in deep, 

 gritty, peaty soil. Division. 



Ranunculus Gouani (Gouan's Butter- 

 cup}. A large, robust, and very showy 

 kind, about 14 ft. high. Flowers, in 

 May; bright yellow, nearly 2 in. 

 across ; sepals oval - acute, thinly 

 covered with weak, longish hairs. 

 Leaves, slightly downy ; those of the 

 root long-stalked, roundish in outline, 

 3- to 5-parted ; segments deeply 

 toothed; stem-leaves irregularly lob ed, 

 sessile ; stem and peduncles more or 



less downy. Pyrenees. Borders, 



in sandy soil, and naturalization in. 

 rough places. Division or seed. 



Ranunculus gramineus (Grassy 

 Crowfoot). Easily known by its 

 narrow grass-like leaves ; 6 to 16 in. 

 high. Flowers, in May ; yellow, not 

 numerous ; petals triangular, wedge- 

 shaped at the base ; sepals smooth. 

 Leaves, linear-lanceolate, entire, stri- 

 ated, smooth ; stem and peduncles 



also smooth. There is a double va- 

 riety, but it is seldom seen. South- 

 ern Europe. Borders, in ordinary 



soil, and naturalization in grassy 

 places. Division. 



Ranunculus Lingua (Large Marsh 

 Buttercup). A vigorous marsh and 

 brook-side plant; 2 to 3 ft. high. 

 Flowers, in summer; bright yellow, 

 1 ^ in. across, usually not more than 2 

 or 3, erect on the top of the stem. 

 Leaves, 8 or 9 in. long, and about 1 in. 

 broad, smooth, lance-shaped, pointed, 

 entire, sessile, embracing the stem. 



Britain and Europe. In tufts on 



the margins of lakes, or streams, or 

 in bogs. Division. 



Ranunculus monspeliacus (Mont- 

 pettier R.) A large and handsome 

 species, covered with silky down, 8 to 

 18 in. high. Flowers, in early sum- 

 mer ; bright golden yellow, glistening, 

 more than 1 in. across, with a broad 

 wedge-shaped scale at the base of each 



sepals very downy, reflected. 



of the root ternate, or deeply 

 3-cleft, with segments more or less 

 stalked, and subdivided into oval- 

 lance-shaped or linear -lance-shaped 

 divisions, which are sometimes bluntly 

 toothed; stem-leaves narrow, with 

 lance -shaped segments. Root composed 

 of a closely-set bundle of small knobs, 

 ending in, and interspersed with, 

 fibres. Montpellier, and all the 



southern parts of France. Borders, 



in sandy loam, and naturalization in 

 grassy places. Division. 



Ranunculus montanus (Mountain 

 Buttercup). A diminutive erect kind, 

 with a creeping underground stem; 

 3 to 6 in. high. Flowers, in early sum- 

 mer; brilliant golden yellow, rather 

 larger than those of the Common But- 

 tercup, each little stem bearing one 

 flower ; calyx nearly smooth, spread- 

 ing. Leaves, smooth ; root - leaves 

 roundish in outline, 3-parted, with 

 trifid blunt segments; those of the 



