A New Ranunculus from Crater Lake, Oregon 



F. Lyle Wynd 



In 1896, Edward L. Greene described a new species of 

 Ranunculus from Crater Lake. Following the description he 

 remarks, "A very neat and very well marked new Ranunculus 

 altogether resembling a small Ficaria." During the last several 

 years the author has collected a large series of this supposedly 

 new and well-marked species not only from the type locality 

 but also from the surrounding territory. The differences de- 

 scribed by Greene have not been found, and from this fact 

 it is supposed that Greene based his description on abnormal 

 specimens. 



Following is the description given by Greene (Pittonia III: 

 91, 1896): 



"Ranunculus gormani. Small and slender perennial, with a 

 fascicle of thick but long and slenderly tapering fleshy-fibrous 

 roots; leaves on almost filiform petioles 1 to 3 inches long, the 

 lamina broadly ovate, or deltoid-ovate, acute, coarsely few- 

 toothed, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, only the petioles somewhat pilose- 

 hairy; Stems several, prostrate at the base, rooting, and bearing 

 leaves at 2 or 3 nodes, the terminal part naked, ascending and 

 scapiform, bearing a solitary small flower; sepals spreading; 

 petals 5, oblong, obtuse, twice the length of the sepals; achenes 

 small, glabrous, moderately compressed, with a slender curved 

 beak as long as the body.'' 



The type locality is given as, "On moist banks at Cathe- 

 dral Springs, Crater Lake, in southern Oregon, 22 Aug., 1896, 

 collected by Mr. M. \V. Gorman." \\^hile the name Cathe- 

 dral Springs is no longer in use, the locality may be identified 

 as the springy bogs at the base of Castle Crest (formerly Cathe- 

 dral Rocks) which is easily accessible just above Park Head- 

 quarters. 



The italics in the description given above indicate those 

 features which are not found in the series of the author's speci- 

 mens. In spite of several years of intensive collecting in and 

 around the type locality, no "typical" specimens have been 

 seen. Since there is but a single species of low, creeping Ranun- 

 culus in the vicinity, it is here proposed to recharacterize 



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