36 



NATUnAL niSTOBY OF PLANTS. 



besides the case of doiible flowers wliich are frequent in Rammcuhis, 



we may find corollas wliicli normally possess a score of petals. We 



may note R. fttUans Lamk., mUJcfolJaiu^ Vahl., mhtighiosus Pall., 



ct/iiibniarirp PuRSii, prcemorsm H. B. K., sihbaldioides H. B. K., 



c/iilr,isi.s J)C.,fila)»P)ifosi(S Wedd., &C. 



The form of the floral receptacle is itself very variable in the 



crenus Bamoicidiis. Thus, in B. sceleratiis (tigs. 6G, 07) this recep- 

 o 



) 



Ranunculus sceleratus. 



Fig. 66. 

 Flower. 



Fig. 67. 

 Longitudinal section of flower. 



tacle, after bearing but a small number of short stamens, swells into 

 a nearly globular head covered with numerous carpels. On the 

 other hand, the receptacle may elongate above the stamens so as to 

 resemble at a distance the cylindro-conoidal form of that of Myomrus. 

 Cerafocephahis, which cannot be generically separated from the 

 Banuncid'i, gives a manifest example of this. This name Mcench' 

 has given to a species" of Ranunculus characterized only by this form 

 of the axis, by its somewhat fewer stamens, and by the lateral pro- 

 jections on its carpels.^ 



TorRNEFonT {Inst., 285-293) especially by De 

 Candolle (.¥«». de la Soc. d'Arcueil, iii. 385). 

 Nothing is more frequent than Ranunculi with 

 monstrous flowers. (Sec also Bull. Soc. Bot, 

 Fr., V. 2'J6 ; viii. 34Sj ix. 280, and Adansonia, 

 iv. 15G, &c. <fcc.) 



' Ceratocephalns, M(ENCH,3/e///.,218. — C.fal- 

 catus Pers., Ench., i.341. — DC, Prodr.,\. 26. — 

 Em)I,., Gen., n.478t. — Cratceogonum hhpanicum 

 liAKK., Icon., 376,2. — lianunctdusCeratophyllus 

 Mou., Uht. Oxon., ii. MO, ex T., Imt., 289. — R. 

 falcalits L., Spec, 781. — Jacq., Fl. Atisir., t. 48. 



' Since then, botanists have distinguished 

 seven or eight species — perhaps only various 

 fonns of a single one. The numerous carpela 

 have a bent or straight style. It has the latter 

 direction in R. fesficulatus HiEB., of wliich De 

 Canuom.E {Sifst., i. 231; Prodi:, i. 2(), n. 2; 



Icon. Deless., vi. t. xxiii.) has made his species 

 C. orihoceras. 



•• The ovary of CeratocepJialus contains but 

 one ascending ovule with a single coat, like that 

 of a Ranunculus. Some have taken as a generic 

 chaructei'istic the existence of these bigibbous 

 carpels with two empty cells at the base (Geen. 

 & GoDE., Fl. Fr., i. IS). If we seek for the 

 origin of these two lateral horns at the base of 

 the fruit, we see that they are owing to a sepa- 

 ration of the pericarp into two layers, and to 

 the increased growth of the outer layer. Hence 

 arises within the thickness of each projection a 

 cavity recalling that observed in the pericarp of 

 Higella damascmna. But the seed remains quite 

 shut in by the endocarp; it has two very thin 

 coats and abundant albumen. 



