KANUNCULACE^E 



87 



Hypocotyl glabrous. Petioles of cotyledons just visible, but the 

 cotyledons have not yet escaped from the achene. 



Three days after germination : Cotyledons now free, oblong, 

 obtuse, entire, shortly petiolate. 



Thirty-nine days after germination : Cotyledons spathulate, entire, 

 petiolate, glabrous, pale green, 8'5-5 mm. long, including the petioles, 

 which are connate at the base. Plumule developing and first leaf 

 appearing. 



Sixty days after germination : The cotyledons have longer petioles 

 than at the last stage, but are otherwise similar. Two first leaves 

 oval, obtuse, entire, glabrous, with long petioles dilated and sheath- 

 ing at the base. 



Ranunculus acris, L. (fig. 126). 



Primary root a tap-root with numerous colourless lateral rootlets. 



Hypocotyl short, '5 mm. long, 1 mm. thick, cylindrical, colour- 

 less near the base, greyish- 

 brown near the cotyledons, 

 where it also develops 

 root-hairs. 



Cotyledons petiolate, the 

 petioles connate and sheath- 

 ing at the base ; lamina 

 about 1 cm. long, nearly 

 5 cm. broad, ovate -lanceo- 

 late, obtuse, entire, with 

 sunk midrib, glabrous, light 

 green ; petiole as long 

 as lamina, nearly 1 mm. 

 broad, slightly channelled 

 and glabrous. 



Leaves simple, radical 

 and cauline, alternate, ex- 

 stipulate, palmati-nerved 

 and -lobed, slightly pubes- 

 cent on both surfaces, deep 

 green above, paler beneath ; 



petiolate, petiole semiterete, 



, n T i , , n 



channelled above, sheathing 



at the base. 



No. 1. Subrotund from a flattened base, five-nerved, trifid, lobes 

 obtuse. 



No. 2. Trilobed, lobes ovate, obtuse, often showing a small tooth 

 on each side. 



FIG. 126. Ranunculus acms. Nat. size. 



