106 



Floating in shallow ponds and such places in such profusion 

 that the whole surface is made white with its flowers ; the 

 plants being very long, and the flowers as numerous as leaves 

 the one and the other always growing together. Petals large, 

 white, with yellow towards the centre, and yellow scales, with a 

 smooth, upright, five-leaved calyx. Leaves, when above the 

 water, roundish, three-lobed, cut ; when under water, becoming 

 split into a number of thin, branched, thread -like divisions. 



" The Water Crow-foot flowers in shoals, 

 Like living pearls all lie 

 Strewn o'er the pool that radiant path 

 Of stars amid the sky 

 Hath not a denser zone of light 

 Than this small clustering silver orb, 

 With a dew drop in each eye : 

 Silver, but golden-touched within. 

 Pearls, with a central light. 

 Snow, with a spot of sunshine seen 

 Like shade; they are so white." Twamley. 



IVY-LEAVED CROW-FOOT. Ranunculus hederaceus. 



Plate 8, fig. 1. 

 Leaves roundish, kidney-shaped. Petals small. 



A small creeping plant, generally upon the mud of half driecl- 

 up ditches. The flowers are white and very small. The leaves 

 of a round kidney- shape, of three or five round lobes, often 

 with a dark stain on them, growing several together, with roots 

 also from the same joints. The seeds smooth and drooping 

 leaves and flowers stalked. Whole plant small, juicy, and 

 smooth. Blossoms from June to September. 



** Flowers yellow. 

 LESS SPEAR-WORT. Ranunculus flammula. 



Plate 8, jig. 2. 

 Leaves linear, lanceolate. Calyx five-leaved. 



In damp heaths, borders of ditches, marshy ground, &c. 

 Directly known by its leaves, which are not divided as they are 

 in every other common species of the Ranunculus, except in 

 the next, where they are of a very different shape. The upper 

 leaves are linear and without stalks those from the root stalked, 

 lanceolate, and a very little serrated. Calyx and stem smooth. 

 Blossoms in Julv. 



