198 
NOTES ON RANUNCULUS FICARIA UL. 
By Tuomas Hick, B.A., B.Sc. 
Tue position Lape se _— plant by systematists has under- 
one some variation from o time, but at present, by English 
botanists at any rate, are aa to be a disposition to accord it 
only specific, or at most subgeneric, rank. 
By Dillenius and De Candolle it was regarded as constituting a 
0 
unds 
this was done. ‘The Treasury of Botany,’ —- by Lindley & 
Moore, contains a description of Ficaria as a s, distinguished 
from Ranunculus ‘by its having 3 deciduous sepa instead o 
persistent sonin and 9 petals instead of 5.’ ‘‘In all other gp, SE 
the description goes on to say, “it is a true Crowfoot.”* In the 
English edition of Le Maout & Decnians, it is stated, in the account 
of the genus Ranunculus, that “ Ficaria has been ‘separated from 
who however makes a separate i a for it, characterised, mainly, 
by ‘the chiefly setiont ates. the 3-5 sepals, 8-12 petals ee 
beakless achenes. 
Perhaps, however, the most recent authoritative —— on 
the position of Ficaria, is that contained in the ‘Genera Plan- 
tarum’ of Bentham and Hooker, which it may be well to "quote — 
Ficanta Dill. ex D. . ae. Veg. i. 304.—Species unica 
Europea, ob s epala sepiu petala ow, et stylos pecaaieos a 
Ranunculis es separata, = ststeailis hodiernis iterum cum 
s ee ae ; characteres enim iidem in aliis pluribus species 
occurrunt. 
It would seem then that both by the older and later authorities 
the number of sepals and petals, and the form of the carpels, have 
been considered the chief points of difference between this plant 
and the Ranunculi, and according as these were deemed sufficient 
or insufficient for the purpose, it has been accorded or refused the 
dignity of generic rank. 
It would be extremely rash on my part to —— to decide a 
matter on which the authorities referred to have greed, but 
additional light -— perhaps be thrown upon it by a te account 
of some other important differences, which, so far as I am aware, 
have not been Bt Be yl described. 
If a number of well-grown sp anes be collected and carefully 
examined in the fresh oie, it will be found that, in spite of some 
oe pom they all approximate more or less closely to 
e type of organisation. The flowers are in every case terminal 
eine. developed at the ébeein tips of the central axis and the 
* Loe. cit, ale oe eo English Flora,’ vol. iii. 
+ Loc. cit. p. 1 § ua ee Flora of the British Isles.’ 
|] § Genera Piantoruas 3 3.0, 
