72 ENGLISH BOTANT. 



the early ones all submerged, translucent and narrower, very rarely 

 some of them floating ; the aerial ones with 3 ribs. Scape racemose, 

 with whorled and umbellate pedicels, or only the latter. Flowers 

 numerous. Achenes in several rows in a globular head on a 

 subglobular receptacle, half-obovate-fusiform-prismatic, acuminated 

 at the apex into a short beak, with 4 corky ribs; the back with a 

 corky keel. 



Var. a, genuina. 



Plate MCCCCXXXIX. 



A. ranunculoideg, Sm. Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 3G2. Eunth. Enum. Plant. Vol. III. 

 p. 149. (Exclude var. /3.) 



Scapes leafless, erect or ascending, without roots at the point where 

 peduncles are given ofi". 



( ?) Var. 3, repens. Sin. 



Plate MCCCCXL. 



A. repens, Bavies, "Welsh Bot. p. 36. Ku7ith. Enum. Plant. Vol. III. p. 150. Bor. El. 

 du Centre de la Pr. ed. iii. Vol. II. p. 596. 



Scapes, or at least some of them, decumbent, rooting and producing 

 tufts of leaves at the points where the pedicels are given ofi". 



In ditches and shallow pools. Not very common, but generally 

 distributed, except in the north of Scotland. Var. 3, in Anglesea and 

 on the margins of several lakes in North Wales : not unfrequent in 

 Ireland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 



Rootstock a very minute corm producing short lateral shoots close 

 to the parent, so that the plant grows in tufts. Early leaves scarcely 

 stalked, translucent, 1 -ribbed; later leaves on stalks sufliciently long 

 to raise them out of the water ; lamina 1 to 4 inches long, always 

 attenuated towards the base, thinner and smoother than that of 

 A. Plantago, and with never more than 3 ribs. Scape rising out of 

 the water, more or less curved near the base ; the upper part erect or: 

 ascending; the length varying from 2 inches to 2 feet. Pedicels at 

 length l|- to 3 inches long, numerous in each whorl, and in the umbel 

 which terminates the scape: sometimes all in a terminal umbel. 

 Flowers f inch across, white or pale lilac, soon fading. Heads of fruit 

 about the size of peas. Achenes olive, numerous. Plant bright green, 

 somewhat shining. 



^''ar. 3 has the leaves shorter, narrower, and less distinctly stalked, 

 but is chiefly remarkable for the scapes rooting and producing new 

 plants at the nodes, with the number of pedicels at each node rarely 



