6 RANUNCULACE^. [RANUNCULUS. 



Brackish waters near the sea, from Caithness southd. ; Ireland ; fl. June- 

 Sept. Floating leaves reniform or broader than long, basal sinus broad, 

 3-lobed or -partite, segments sessile or petiolulate, cuneate, crenate or lobed ; 

 submerged not collapsing when removed from the water ; stipules broad, 

 rounded. Petals not touching, much longer than the sepals. Stamens 

 shorter or longer than the pistil. A chenes very many, small, glabrous or 

 hairy ; stigma usually hooked. BISTRIB. W. Europe. 



The R. mari'nus proper (i.e. of Fries) has no floating leaves (like R. 

 salsugino'sus, Hiern), and few stamens. R. confu'sus, Godr., is characterized 

 by its more slender tapering peduncles, stamens many exceeding the 

 pistil, ovoid-conic receptacles and |-ovate compressed achenes narrowed 

 upwards, and R. Bauddtii, Godr., as having stout pedicels, stamens many 

 not exceeding the pistil, long conic receptacles and ^-obovate achenes with 

 inflated tops: characters which I cannot verify as constant in either case. 



** Aquatic. Floating leaves rarely present ; submerged numerous , multifid. 

 Petals 5-9-nerved. Receptacles glabrous or hairy. 



3. R. flu'itans, LainTc. ; stems long robust, submerged leaves with few 

 long narrow rigid tassel-like segments, peduncles much longer than the 

 leaves, flowers J-l in, diam., petals broadly obovate, receptacle 

 glabrous, achenes . few large turgid. R. peucedanifo'lius, Schrank. 

 Rivers and running streams from the Clyde southd.; Ireland; fl. June- 



Aug. Stem several feet long and usually stout. Leaves 3-9-in. long, long 

 petioled, black, forming flaccid or rather rigid tassels ; floating leaves very 

 rare, 3-lobed or -partite or -foliolate, segments sometimes petiolulate ; 

 stipules broad, rounded. Peduncles very long and robust. Petals often 

 more than 5, and 2-seriate. Stamens many, short or long. Achenes com- 

 pressed, glabrous ; stigma short, thick. DISTRIB. Europe. R. Ba'chii, 

 Wirtg., is a small form, more slender, with subsessile more divided leaves 

 and narrower petals. 



4. R. trichophyllus, Chaix ; submerged leaves usually subsessile, 

 black and rigid, not collapsing when removed from the water, peduncles 

 stout, shorter than the leaves, flowers ^-J in. diam., petals small 

 narrow distant, receptacle glabrous, achenes few. R. pantothrix, Brot. 



Water-fennel. 



Still waters from Orkney southd.; Ireland; fl. May-June. Floating 

 leaves, if present, 3-lobed, -partite, or sometimes 3-foliolate, submerged ; 

 2-3-chotomously multifid; stipules large, rounded. Peduncles about 

 equalling the leaves, or shorter, not tapering. Stamens few, longer than the 

 pistil. A chenes glabrous or hairy ; stigma short, thick. DISTRIB. Europe, 

 W. Asia, Himalaya, N. America. R. Droue'tii, F. Schultz, has paler, 

 more flaccid submerged leaves, the mid segment of the floating ones when 

 present often deflexed. R. radians, Rev., and R. Godronii^nen.^ and R. diver- 

 sifolius, H. Wats., are forms with floating leaves. VAR. confervoides is a 

 depauperated northern form from Rescobie Loch in Forfarshire, which is 

 the original R. aquatilis of Linnseus's Flora Lapponica. It is probably not 

 rare in the north. 



5. R. circina'tus, S-ibth. ; floating leaves 0, submerged small sessile 

 orbicular, segments in one plane rigid, peduncles much longer than the 



