VOL. II.] 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



24. FICARIA Huds. Fl. Angl. 213. 1762. 



Glabrous slightly fleshy perennial herbs, with thickened tuberous roots, branched or 

 simple spreading or erect stems, petioled entire or toothed cordate leaves, and large solitary 

 yellow terminal or axillary flowers. Sepals 3 or sometimes 5, deciduous. Petals 7-12 

 (commonly 8), yellow, or red at the base, bearing a small pit at the base of the blade (?). 

 Stamens and pistils numerous. Achenes slightly compressed, blunt, not wrinkled nor ribbed. 

 Cotyledon only one. [Latin, fig, from the fig-like thickened roots.] 



About 4 species, natives of the Old World. 



I. Ficaria Ficaria (L.) Karst. 



Lesser Celandine. 



(Fig. 1629.) 



Ranunculus Ficaria L,. Sp. PI. 550. 



1753- 

 Ficciria ranunculoides Moench, Meth. 



215. 1794. 



Glabrous, flowering stems scapose, 

 4'-5' high, bearing i or 2 leaves or 

 naked, erect from large fleshy thick- 

 ened roots. Leaves ovate, cordate, 

 obtuse, crenate, somewhat fleshy, on 

 broad petioles, the blade i / -2 / long; 

 flowers yellow, i' broad; sepals 3; 

 petals 8 or 9; head of fruit globose, 

 l / z ' broad; carpels beakless, truncate. 



College Point, Long: Island; Staten 

 Island; Philadelphia. Fugitive from 

 Europe, where it is a common pasture 

 weed, occurring also in western Asia. 

 Called also Pilewortand Figwort Butter- 

 cup. April-May. 



25. CYRTORHYNCHA Nutt.; T. & G. Fl. N. A. i: 26. 1838. 



A glabrous perennial herb, with fibrous roots, slender erect stems, crenate or lobed 

 leaves, and small yellow flowers. Sepals 5, spreading, deciduous. Petals 5, narrowly spatu- 

 late or oblong, bearing a small pit near the base. Stamens and pistils numerous. Head of 

 fruit globose. Achenes terete, longitudinally ribbed or nerved, tipped with the incurved 

 style. [Greek, curved -beak.] 



The genus as here recognized consists of the following species only. 



i. Cyrtorhyncha ranunculina Nutt. 

 Xuttall's Buttercup. (Fig. 1630.) 



Cyrtorhyncha ranunculina Nutt.; T. & G. Fl. N. 



A. 1:26. 1838. 

 Ranunculus Xntlallii A. Gray, Proc. Acad. Phila. 



1863: 56. 1863. 

 Ranunculus ranunculinus Rydberg, Bot. Surv. 



Neb. 3: 23. 1894. 



Slender, glabrous, erect, branched above, 6'- 

 io / high. Roots thick and clustered, numerous; 

 basal leaves on long slender petioles, bipinnate, 

 the divisions deeply parted into oblong or linear, 

 entire or dentate, acutish lobes; stem-leaves few, 

 subtending the branches, ternately or pinnately 

 parted into linear lobes; flowers few, somewhat 

 corymbose, about 6 // broad; sepals yellow, petal- 

 oid, spreading; petals spatulate; achenes i"- 

 \y-i" long, capitate in a globose head, glabrous, 

 oblong-cylindric, obtuse, striate, not flattened, 

 tipped with the slender recurved style. 



In gravelly soil, Nebraska, Wyoming and Colo- 

 rado. June. 



