6 RANTJNCULACE.E. Ranunculus. 



§ 2. Terrestrial herbs, with the leaves all undivided : sepals large and petal-like .'pet- 

 als minute, with a nectariferous jnt at the base of the blade : akenes smooth, 

 tapering. — Aphanosteiima, St. Hilaire. 



3. R. hystriculus, Gray. Glabrous : the scape-like stem 6 to 10 inches, usually 

 1-flowered and lealiess : leaves broadly cordate or reniform, about 5-lobed, deeply 

 crenately toothed : sepals 5 to 6, white and petal-like, 4 to 5 lines long, deciduous : 

 petals inconspicuous, consisting of a minute fleshy blade (having a nectariferous pit 

 at its base) raised upon a narrow claw of twice its length, the whole scarcely 2 lines 

 long : akenes 2 to 3 lines long, slender and tapering to a long hooked beak, and 

 forming a compact'ovate head. — Proc. Am. Acad. vii. 328. 



Foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada, Forest Hill and Newcastle (Bolander), and near Placerville, 

 Rattan. This little plant has more the look of an Anemone than a Ranunculus, but the fruit 

 distinguishes it. The scapes are rarely 2-flowered, and sometimes bear a single leaf. The mi- 

 nute petals are probably yellow. Eoot fascicled-fibrous. Leaves 1 or 2 inches long, on petioles 

 three times as long. 



§ 3. Terrestrial herbs, with the leaves compound: sepals somewhat petal-like : petals 

 with a scale at the base : akenes vesicular and margined or winged at the base. 



4. R. Anders onii, Gray. Stems 3 to 6 inches high, 1 -flowered : radical leaves 

 palmately 2-ternate ; leaflets petiolulate, laciniately lobed : flowers about an inch in 

 diameter ; petals obovate or nearly orbicular, deep pink ; sepals nearly as long, gla- 

 brous, persistent, somewhat petaloid, pink on the margin : akenes 4 to 5 lines long, 

 bladdery, obovate, compressed, with a narrow ventral wing and a dorsal margin, 

 glabrous, mucronate, with very short subulate recurved style. — Proc. Am. Acad. 

 vii. 327 ; Watson, Bot. King. 6, t. 1. 



Sierra Valley (Lemmori), near Carson Valley {Anderson), east to Salt Lake, Watson. The 

 plant is either wholly glabrous or somewhat ciliate on the dilated petioles and on the segments 

 of the leaves. Stems commonly scape-like and leafless, but sometimes with a small divided leaf 

 or bract a short distance below the flower. Leaves somewhat fleshy, an inch or more long and 

 wide, on petioles 2 inches long. A truly remarkable species. 



§ 4. Terrestrial herbs, but often growing in wet places, mostly erect : sepals green 

 and herbaceous : petals yellow, with a scale at the base : akenes neither lorin- 

 kled nor hispid. — Eanunculus proper. 



* All the leaves undivided, the margins entire. 



5. R. Flammula, Linn., var. reptans, Gray. Glabrous throughout : stems 

 filiform, creeping and rooting at the joints, 4 to 10 inches long : leaves mostly lance- 

 olate and acute at each end, entire : flowers 4 (2 to 5) lines in diameter : petals 

 broadly obovate, one half longer than the sepals : akenes few, in a small globular 

 head, plump, smooth ; beak veiy short and curved. — It. reptans, Linn. 



Moist places from the sea-level to 6, 000 feet altitude. The species has a wide range on both 

 continents. A creeping plant, in wet places, and quite variable in size. Leaves 1 to 1J inches 

 long, the lower ones on long petioles, the upper ones usually somewhat clustered at the joints, 

 varying from linear to oblong in shape. The head is of rather few carpels, commonly but 2 

 lines in diameter. 



6. R. alismasfolius, Geyer. Smooth throughout : stems nearly or quite erect, 

 10 to 16 inches high, rather stout : leaves broadly lanceolate, entire, blunt at apex : 

 flowers 6 to 9 lines in diameter : petals broadly obovate, conspicuously nerved, nearly 

 twice as long as the sepals : akenes smooth, slightly flattened, pointed with a nearly 

 or quite straight beak, crowded in a compact, ovate head. — Benth. PL Hartw. 

 295. 



Var. alismellus, Gray. Stems slender, erect, 6 to 8 inches high : lower leaves 

 elliptical : petioles sparinr.lv pilose : flowers 5 to 6 lines in diameter : petals about 6. 

 — Proc. Am. Acad. vii. 32 7. 



