14 RANUCULACE^. Ranunculus. 



8. Ranunculus Purshii, Richards. Pursh's Crowfoot. 



Submerged leaves divided into filiform flat segments, the emersed ones reniform, 3-5- 

 parted ; lobes variously divided ; petals twice as long as the reflcxed sepals ; carpels in globose 

 heads, smooth, with a short straight ensiform style. — Hook.ji. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 15 ; Torr. <^ 

 Gr.fi. N. Am. I. p. 19. 



var. 1 : leaves all filiformly dissected ; flowers large ; stem fistulous. — Hook. I. c. ; Torr. 

 ^ Gr. I. c. R. multifidus, Pursh,fl. 2. p. 736 ; DC. prodr. I. p. 34. R. fluviatilis, Bigel. 

 ft. Bost. ed. \.p. 139. R. delphinifolius, Torr. in Eat. man. cd. 3 (1822), p. 424. R. lacus- 

 tris, Beck ^- Tracy, in Eat. man. I. c. and in trans. Alb. inst. \.p. 148 cum icon. 



var. 2 : submersed leaves filiformly dissected, floating ones reniform, palmately many-cleft. 

 — Hook. I. c. t. 7. B.f. 7 ; Torr. 4-. Gr. I. c. 



var. 3 : creeping ; lower leaves many-cleft, with linear segments ; upper ones reniform, 

 palmately many-cleft. — Hook. I. c. t. 7. B.f. 2; Torr. <^ Gr. I. c. 



Stem in the floating varieties from one to several feet long, according to the depth of the 

 water, much branched ; in the creeping form shorter, and often partly erect. Circumscrip- 

 tion of the leaves roundish ; segments of the submerged ones 1-2 inches long. Flowers 

 in var. 1, as large as in R. acris, in the others smaller. Sepals ovate, colored, smooth. 

 Petals bright yellow, obovate, one-third longer than the sepals. 



Sluggish streams, and also in still water. Common in the northern and western parts of 

 the State. The first and third varieties occur in ponds on Long Island rwo or three miles 

 from Brooklyn. May - July. A well marked species. 



9. Ranunculus acris, Linn. Tall Crowfoot. Butter Cups. 



Leaves pubescent or somewhat glabrous, 3 - 5-parted, with the segments deeply 3-cleft ; 

 lobes lanceolate, acute, the uppermost linear ; stem many-flowered ; peduncles terete ; calyx 

 spreading, villous ; carpels roundish, compressed, pointed with a short recurved beak. — Pursh, 

 fi. 2.jp. 394; DC. prodr. \.p. 36,- Bigel. fl. Bost. ed. 2. p. 226; Hook. ft. Bor.-Am. \.p. 

 18; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. 1. p. 21. 



Stem 1-2 feet high, the lower part and the petioles usually clothed with spreading hairs, 

 but sometimes nearly smooth. Peduncles 1-3 inches long. Flowers about an inch in 

 diameter, bright yellow. 



Meadows and pastures, not uncommon ; flowering from June to November. The roots 

 and leaves arc sometimes bruised and applied to the skin, as a rubefacient, and also to pro- 

 duce blistering. It is a naturalized plant of European origin. 



10. Ranunculus repens, Linn. Creeping Crowfoot. 



Stems throwing off from the base long prostrate or creeping branches ; leaves trifoliolate ; 

 leaflets cuneiform, 3-lobed, incisely toothed, the middle (and generally the lateral ones also) 

 petiolulate ; peduncles sulcate ; calyx spreading ; carpels with a broad short rather straight 



