58 THE BANTTNCULTTS FAMILY. 



slightly downy. Leaves finely divided into numerous narrow linear seg- 

 ments. Sepals green or slightly coloured. Petals 5 to 8, rather longer 

 than the calyx, of a bright scarlet, with a dark spot at the base. Carpels 

 numerous, and rather large, arranged in a head at first ovate or oblong, but 

 which ol'teu lengthens considerably and becomes cylindrical as the fruit 

 ripens. 



In cornfields, in central and southern Europe and western Asia. Not very 

 common in Britain, but appears occasionally, especially in the warmer 

 counties of England and Ireland, and sometimes in Scotland. Fl. summer 

 and early autumn. A variety with larger flowers was formerly much cul- 

 tivated in flower-gardens under the name of Flos Adonis. 



y. KIOUSBTAII.. MYOSUEUS. 



Annuals with entire leaves. Sepals 5. Petals 5, small, linear, with tubular 

 claws. Stamens few. Carpels small, one- seeded, very numerous, arranged 

 in a long and dense cylindrical spike. Ovule attached near the top of the 

 cell. 



A genus containing besides the European species biit one other one from 

 western America, and chiefly distinguished from the smaU-flowered Ranun- 

 culuses by the tubular claw of the petals, and from most of that genus by 

 the attacliment of the ovule. 



1. Common IVIousetail. IVIyosurus minimus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 435. Mousetail.) 



A small annual with Unear radical leaves, sometimes not an inch long, 

 sometimes attaining 2 or even 3 inches, including their long footstalk. 

 Peduncles also radical, rather longer than the leaves, often enlarged and 

 hollow at the top, with a single small yellowish flower. Sepals prolonged 

 below their insei'tion into a kind of spur. Petals rarely longer tlian the 

 calyx, and very narrow. Carpels very numerous, forming a head which 

 lengthens into a close slender spike, 1 or even 2 inches in length. 



In moist sandy or gravelly fields and waste places, in Europe, Russian 

 Asia, northern and western America and Austi-aha. Not uncommon in the 

 south and south- east of England, rare in Scotland, and not yet detected in 

 Ireland. Fl. spring. 



VI. RANUNCULUS. EANUNCULUS. 



Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes entirely aquatic. Leaves entire or 

 more or less divided. Flowers usually yellow or white. Sepals 5, very rarely 

 reduced to 3. Petals 5, or sometimes more, each with a thickened hoUow 

 spot at the base, often covered by ^ minute scale. Stamens usually nume- 

 rous. Carpels numerous, without awns, in a globular or oblong head, each 

 containing a single- ovule attached near its base. 



A numerous genus widely spread over tlie temperate regions of the globe 

 and even found under the tropics. It is easily distinguishea from Anemone 

 by the want of the involucre. The so-called nectary at the base of the petals, 

 which separates it from Adonis, is sometimes reduced to a shghtly dis- 

 coloured, concave spot. In the small-flowered species one or more of the 

 petals are often wanting, and the stamens reduced to very few. 



