Ranunculus. RANUNCULACE.E. y 



Wet places. The first form in several localities at lower altitudes, by various collectors. The 

 var. at Lake Tenaya and Mt. Dana (Breiver), Ostrander's, Bolander. The species ranges to New 

 England, British America, and Europe. The most characteristic distinction between this and 

 R. F/ammula is the straight style and long straight beak ; but so far as relates to the California 

 forms, the most obvious ditierence is that this has usually erect stems and larger flowers, while 

 that has creeping stems. 



7. R. Lemmoni, Gray. Villous at base : stems 6 to 10 inches high, sparingly 

 branched : leaver narrowly lanceolate, 3 to 4 inches long, the radical on long peti- 

 oles : ilowers few, long-peduncled, half an inch broad, bright yellow : sepals villou.s, 

 somewhat persistent : heads globose, 3 to 4 lines broad : akenes turgid, pubescent, 

 subniembranaceous, 1 1 to 2 lines long ; beak very short, subulate, incurved. — Proc. 

 Am. Acad. x. 68. 



Sierra Valley, J. G. Lcminon. 



8. R. trachyspermus, var. Lindheimeri, Engelm. Smooth throughout : 



stems slender, erect, 8 to 10 inches high : lower leaves oval, npper ones lanceolate 

 or linear, all entire : flowers 2 lines in diameter : heads of fruit oblong : akenes 

 granulately roughened. — PI. Lindh. i. 3 : Torr. Pacif. E. Eep. iv. 62. 



This has only been found (by Dr. Bigclow) in Napa Valley, and more specimens are needed for 

 satisfactory determination. The species otherwise is known only from Texas. 



* * Radical leaves undivided; stem leaves, if any, toothed or lobed : glabrous 



perennials. 



9. R. Cymbalaria, Pursh. Glabrous : flowering stems or scapes leafless, 3 to 6 

 inches high, 1 to 7-fli)wered : leaves thickish, broadly ovate or ovate-cordate, coarsely 

 crenate, clustered at the root and at the joints of the long filiform rooting runners ; 

 petals yellow, 2 lines long and longer than the green sepals : the mature akenes a 

 line long, striate-veined on the sides, enlarging upwards ; apex blunt, with a short 

 oblique beak ; head compact, oblong, 3 to 6 lines long. 



Wet saline soils {Bolander) and in similar places eastward to the Atlantic ; also Europe and Asia. 



10. R. glaberrimus, Hook. Glabrous : stems 3 to 6 inches high, 1 - 3-flowered: 

 radical leaves broadly oval, either entire or with 3 large blunt teeth at the apex ; 

 cauline leaves cuneate at the base, 3-cleft to the middle : petals oval, yellow, 3 to 4 

 lines long : sepals oval, not reflexed, half as long as the petals : akenes plump or 

 turgid, smooth, tipped with a short curved beak : heads globular, compact, 4 to 5 

 lines in diameter. — Hook. Fl. i. 12, t. 5. 



Washoe ilountains {Anderson) and northward in subalpine situations to Oregon and Idaho. 



11. R. oxynotus, Gray. Alpine, glabrous, cespitose, with thick fibrous roots : 

 stems stout, 4 to 6 inches high, decumbent at base, 1 - 3-flowered : leaves crowded, 

 subreniform or cuneate- rounded, crenately 5 - 9-lobed, 6 to 9 lines broad, the cauline 

 broadly cuneate Avith 3 to 5 oblong lobes : sepals pilose : petals 4 lines long, bright 

 yellow : head oblong, thick and fleshy, 4 to 9 lines long : akenes smooth, oblong, a 

 line long, carinate on the back, acuminate with the curved subulate style. — Proc. 

 .Vm. Acad. x. 68. 



Near snow on the central Sierra Nevada, at 10,000 to 11,000 feet altitude ; Wood's Peak and 

 peak above Sonora Pass {Brcioer) ; Mount Stanford, Sierra Co. {Lcmmon). Near/?, nivalis, differ- 

 ing in its cespitose habit and less deeply lobed radical leaves. 



* * * Some or all the leaves ternately compound : stems hrancJdng, several -floivered : 

 roots mnsthj a fascicle of thickened fibres : flowers bright yelloiv. 



1 2. R. Californicus, Benth. More or less pilose : stems erect, or nearly so, 

 12 to 18 inches high : root a cluster of somewhat thickened fibres : radical leaves 

 commonly pinnately ternate, the leaflets laciniately cut into 3 to 7 lobes or parts, 

 which are usually linear : flowers 5 to 10 lines in diameter : petals usually 10 to 14 

 narrowly obovate : sepals shorter than the petals, reflexed : akenes nearly 2 lines 

 long, much flattened and Avith sharp edges ; beak short and curved : lu-ads compact, 



