RANUNCULUS 



RANUNCULUS 



1499 



glabrous or at first with hairy edges soon becoming 

 glabrous, glaucous: fls. 3-6, either terminal or axillary, 

 pure white, with yellow stamens ; sepals pointed ; pet- 

 als much larger, obtuse. Mts. of S. E. Eu. B.M. 266 

 (poor). L.B.C. 16:1593. J.H. III. 35:345. G.C. II. 

 19:788. 



2. adoneus, Gray. Plant shaggy-hairy, 4-12 in. high, 

 sometimes becoming decumbent: root slender-fibrous: 

 Ivs. usually 2-3-times 3-parted and lobed; lobes all nar- 

 row-linear, acute ; primary divisions of Ivs. sessile or 

 nearly so; petioles of basal Ivs. membranous in lower 

 part; stem-lvs. sessile or on a sheathing base, usually 

 borne opposite, resembling an involucre: petals 5 (or 6 

 to 8), large, yellow, rounded outwardly, cuneate at base, 

 much exceeding the lanceolate sepals which are hairy 

 beneath: akenes somewhat compressed, acutish; style 

 long, straight, subulate: head globular to oblong. Sum- 

 mer. Rockies of Colo., altitude 10,000 ft. - Int. 1881. 

 Procurable from dealers in Colorado plants. 



3. repens, Linn. Plant more or less hairy, spreading 

 by runners: roots fibrous: fl. -stems often ascending 6- 

 12 in.: Ivs. petioled, 3-divided; middle 1ft. or all Ifts. 

 stalked, often again 3 - lobed or cleft, and somewhat 

 coarse-toothed, bases cuneate or truncate: petals obo- 

 vate, 5-6 lines long; sepals, much shorter, spreading, 

 hairy below: akenes compressed, margined; beak short, 

 stout, slightly bent: head globose. May-July. Low 

 places, from Nova Scotia and Newfoiindland to Va. and 

 westward; also Eu. and Asia. A double-flowered form 

 (var. flore p1eno),Fig. 2076, is not uncommonin gardens. 



4. montanus, Willd. MOUNTAIN BUTTERCUP. Plant 

 6 in. high, pubescent, with soft appressed or spreading 

 hairs, especially toward the top : rootstock creeping, 

 1-3 in. high, % in. thick: radical Ivs. few, petiolate, 

 smooth, orbicular in outline, 3-parted, and lobed into 

 blunt-toothed segments; stem-lvs. sessile or nearly so, 

 clasping the stem, 3-5-parted into narrow somewhat 

 toothed or entire lobes: fls. solitary, terminating the 

 simple or once-branched stem, 1 in. across or larger; 

 sepals concave, acute, yellowish green, slightly hairy; 

 petals 5, large, broadly obovoid, bright yellow, with 

 small scale and pore at base: akenes turgid, glabrous; 

 beak strongly hooked, puberulent. May -July. Eu. 

 B.M. 3022. L.B.C. 17:1610. 



Var. dentatus, Baumg. (K. Carpdticus, Herbich). 

 Lvs. much more toothed than in the type: plant much 

 taller: fls. larger. B.M. 7266. Gn. 52:1138. 



5. bulbosus, Linn. (R. specidsus, Hort.). Plant from 

 a true bulb, erect, about 1 ft. high, hairy: Ivs. petioled, 

 3-5-parted, the divisions sometimes stalked; segments 

 lobed : fls. terminating the branches, bright yellow, 

 large ; petals large, obovate, shining above ; sepals 

 much smaller, often reflexed: akenes compressed, with 

 short beak, and borne in a globose head. Spring and 

 summer. Persia, Eu., N. Africa. The double form is 

 perhaps best suited for cultivation. 



6. Suksdorfii, Gray. Roots fibrous: stems slender, 

 3-6 in. high, glabrous, radical and lowest stem-lvs. 

 small, about 6-8 lines long, subreniform to broadly fla- 

 belliform, with truncate base, deeply 3-5 -cleft or 

 parted ; divisions cuneate, again 2-5-cleft or incised; 

 upper stem-lvs. with linear divisions: fls. 1-3, deep yel- 

 low; petals round-obovate, retuse: akenes turgid-len- 

 ticular, sharp-edged, glabrous; style persistent for a 

 time, slender, % line long, equaling the akene body: 

 head of fruit globular. July, Aug. Damp places, 6,000- 

 8,000ft. altitude; Mts. of Wash., Oreg. and Mont. -This 

 rare species was offered by F. H. Horsford in 1889. 



7. Asiaticus, Linn. Fig. 2077. Plant erect, either 

 simple or branched, %-l ft. high: roots fleshy: Ivs. 

 petiolate, becoming sessile upwardly, ternate or biter- 

 nate; segments toothed or deeply 3-lobed: fls. termi- 

 nating the stems and branches, variable in color among 

 the cultivated forms; calyx spreading, becoming re- 

 flexed ; petals large, obovate, blunt : fr. in a spike. 

 May, June. Asia Minor. F.S. 16:1679 (fl. pi.). R.B. 

 16:133 (var. superbisximus). Highly bred double fls. 

 of many kinds are in cult. Roots are sold as "bulbs." 

 The Persian and Turban Ranunculuses belong here. 



8. orthorhynchus, Hook. Plant 10-18 in. high, erect, 

 branched, hirsute to nearly glabrous : root thick, fibrous : 



Ivs. oblong in outline, pinnately compound; Ifts. 5-7, 

 cleft and incised, quite variable; upper Ifts. often con- 

 fluent and sessile or nearly so, lower ones well stalked: 

 petals 7-16, yellow, rarely purple beneath, obovate; se- 

 pals much shorter, pubescent beneath, reflexed, decidu- 

 ous : akenes glabrous, obliquely ovoid, compressed, 

 margined; style ot same length, straight, rigid, persist- 



2077. Persian Ranunculus R. Asiaticus (X %). 



ent: head globose. May-July. Wet places, Brit. Col. to 

 Ore. arid Mont. Var. platyphyllus. Gray (Jf.ntdxi- 

 mus, Greene). Often 3 ft. or more high: Ivs. larger, 

 2-4 in. across; Ifts. of ten 3 in. long, and laciniately cut: 

 petals often larger than the type. 



9. cortussefdlius, Willd. Root of thick, fleshy, fascic- 

 ulated fibers: plant velvety hairy, 1-3 ft. high: lower 

 Ivs. long-petioled, roundish to reniform, incised, and 

 with cut and toothed lobes; stem-lvs. divided into 3-5 

 narrow lobes; upper ones sessile: fls. several or many, 

 terminal and axillary, rather paniculate; sepals 5, ovate 

 to lanceolate, green with pale margins; petals 5, large, 

 broadly obovate, glossy yellow : akenes compressed , h n i ry 

 on sides, tapering into recurved styles nearly their own 

 length; head of fruit short-oval. May. Island of Ten- 

 eriffe, Canary group. Int. 1893. Gn. 45:944. B.M. 4625, 

 Not very hardy and needs protection in winter and 

 early spring. It is well suited for pot culture. It is in- 

 creased by division of the roots in autumn. 



