Ranunculus.] I. RANUNCULACE^. 9 



branched annual, 6 inches to near 2 feet high, glabrous or nearly so. 

 Stem thick and hollow. Lower leaves stalked, divided into 3 or 

 more obtusely toothed or lobed segments, the upper ones sessile, with 

 3 narrow segments. Flowers small and numerous, the petals pale 

 yellovy, scarcely longer than the calyx, and without any scale over the 

 nectary. Carpels very small in a dense head, which becomes oblong 

 as the fruit ripens. 



On the sides of pools and wet ditches, over Europe and temperate 

 Asia, occurring even in Bengal, and now spread into North America. 

 Scattered through Britain. PL summer. 



8. R. auricomus, Linn. (fig. 16). Wood R., Goldilocks. A perennial, 

 with the large bright yellow flowers of R. acris, but not so tall, more 

 glabrous, having only a few appressed hairs, especially in the upper 

 parts, and the lower leaves less cut and more obtuse. Stem seldom 

 above a foot high, erect and branched. Piadical leaves on long stalks, 

 rounded or reniform, and but little cut. Stem-leaves few, sessile, 

 divided to the base into narrow, entire, or slightly toothed segments. 

 Carpels as in R. acris, but downy. 



In woods and bushy places in northern and central Europe and 

 northern and western Asia to N. India. Frequent in England, rarer 

 in Ireland and Scotland, and scarce in the Highlands. Fl. spring. [A 

 variety with deformed petals or with none, is R. apetalus, Wallr.] 



9. R. acris, Linn. (fig. 17). Meadow R., Crowfoot, Buttercups* A 

 softly hairy perennial, very variable in size, but generally one of the 

 tallest of our species ; hairs mostly spreading, but deflexed on the 

 lower parts of the stem, and appressed on the peduncles. Stems erect, 

 often 2 or 3 feet high, but in poor or mountain stations sometimes not 

 6 inches. Leaves nearly all stalked and deeply divided into 3, 5, or 7 

 palmate segments, which are again cut into 3 toothed lobes, the divi- 

 sions lanceolate and acute, those of the lower leaves broader and 

 sometimes wedge-shaped, the upper ones narrower and fewer. Flowers 

 rather large, bright yellow, on long terminal peduncles, forming 

 usually large loose panicles. Sepals yellowish-green, concave, shorter 

 than the petals, spreading horizontally, but not reflected on the ped- 

 uncle. Carpels ovate, compressed, glabrous, in a globular head. 



In meadows and pastures, cultivated and waste places, very common 

 in Europe and Russian Asia, and naturalised in North America. Very 

 abundant in Britain. PI. early summer, and till late in autumn. 



10. R. repens, Linn. (fig. 18). Creeping R. With the flowers and 

 fruit of R. acris, this species is easily distinguished by the runners 

 shooting from among the radical leaves, rapidly rooting and forming 

 fresh plants at every node, by the flowering stems seldom above a foot 

 high and less branched, by the hairs generally longer and looser, and 

 by the leaves divided into 3 stalked segments, each one lobed and 

 toothed, but the central one projecting considerably beyond the others, 

 so as to give the whole leaf an ovate form, not the rounded one of R. 

 acris. 



In cultivated and waste places throughout Europe, and North Asia, 

 introduced in N. America. In Britain as abundant as R. acris, and a 

 very troublesome weed. PI. all summer, and often till late in autumn. 



* These names are popularly applied to nearly all the species of Ranunculus with 

 bright yellow flowers and divided leaves. 



