88 ANNALS OF ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. 
one deltoid or broadly obovate, breadth #—$ the length, nearly to 4 trilobed; lobes 
lobulate or  serrate-crenate, lobules distantly or closely crenate-serrate, serratures 
apiculate or submucronate; staminodes 6—7 mm. long, linear, breadth about $—1 the 
length. Kansu (Potanin /); Tachienlu region (Prati n. 6761). 
Subspecies II. Ромпов NORMALIS; stem mostly leafless above the base, rarely 
1—2-leaved; blade of basal leaves 1—3 cm. long, trilobed beyond the middle 
or nearly to the base, usually more or less overlapping upwards; middle segment in 
outline broadly and often subspatulately obovate or broad-deltoid, breadth 9—1 the 
length, usually trilobate or subtriid to i or nearly i; lobes lobulate or subincisedly 
‘serrate, serratures mostly frequent and close together, acuminate-mucronate or nearly 
aristate, rarely apiculate only ; lamina of staminodes linear-oblong, often compressed- 
2 
capitate at the apex, breadth 4—3 of length. 
Subspecies III. GERANIFOLIUS, Р.В.; stem usually 1- to 2-leaved; petioles of cauline 
leaves conspicuously sheathing; leaves deeply 3-partite or 2-sect; blade of basal leaves 
1—3 cm. long, segments often rather distant; middle segment oblong-elliptic ог 
elongate-deltoid in outline, breadth #— the length, usually trifid beyond the 
middle; laeinie once or twice incised or incised-serrate; lacinule or serratures rather 
scarce, usually lanceolate or Janceolate-linear, apiculate, entire or serrulate; basal sinus 
wem narrow; staminoles 3—1 mm. long, blade obovate or obovate-oblong, breadth 
1—1 the length. 
Subspecies IJ. PUMILUS NORMALIS. 
Var. а. sikKiMENsIS P. B.; leaves with numerous aco serratures; flowering stem 
8—15 cm. high, leafless or rarely with one leaf near the base.—Sikkim 15—17,000° 
(Hook. fil.!); Phäri (K.'s сой. /); Bhutan, near Kung-met (Кв coll. 7). 
` Far. B. Buoranica, King in herb. Cale.; stem 90 to 40 еш. high, one-flowered, leafless or 
2 rarely with one leaf towards the base; leaves as in a.—Chumbi, at Do-tha 
(Кв coll. !). 
Var. y. YUNNANENSIS, Franchet Pl. Del, р. 23; stem up to 50 cm. high, often three-flowered, 
: with one or two cauline leaves; basal leaves as in a.—( Yunnan.) 
— Far. 6. RANUNCULOIDES, Hemsley pro sp. in Linn. Soc. Journ. No. 202, p. 301; stem 
| 10—24 ст. high, leafless; lacinie of basal leaves once or scarcely twice serrate, 
‘serratures apiculate, segments more or less overlapping, basal sinus closed. женге: ہے‎ 
region (Pratt !). 
Var. е. KANsUENsIS, P. B.; stem 15—20 om. high; one-leaved near the base; leaf-segments 
distant, lacini once serrate, serratures apiculate.—Kansu (Potanin). 
" те $. TAXGUTICA, P. В.; stem 7—10 cm. high, leafless; segments more or less imbricate, 
| | lobulate; lobules ж ады, once crenate-serrate, serratures — apiculate.—Tangut 
x سط‎ of Kansu (Prawalski 1). 
© т б» from Don's description, his 7. punit is identical with our subspecies geranifolius. Of 
reat interest in connection with the real nature of the so-called petals is the occurrence in var. bhotanica 
ot undoubted staminodes, consisting of filaments of varying lengths and an ellipsoidal empty terminal 
pouch; the numbér of so-called petals is then reduced to three or four (see fig. 54). This proves 
. conclusively that Prantl’s opinion that the nectariferous petals in Trollius and other genera of 
: Ranunculacese are really modified stamens, is correct. In subsp. geranifolius especially the sepals are 
very often — and marcescent = fig. 6), whilst in 7. acıulis they are usually caducous; a 
