18 I. BANDNCULACEAE. [Ranuticutus . 



teeth. Peduncles naked, 3in.-10in. long, axillary or leaf -opposed. Sepals 5, 

 broadly ovate. Petals 5-10, usually shorter than the sepals, narrow, with a 

 basal gland. Receptacle shortly oblong, tumid. Aclienes turgid, glabrous, 

 smooth or faintly muriculate ; beak long, subulate, nearly straight. — Fl. N.Z. i. 

 10; Handbk. 7.' 



NORTH and SOUTH Islands: From the Auckland Isthmus to Otago: In pools and swamps 

 in lowland districts. 



A succulent plant, varying according to the depth of water in which it grows. Petioles may 

 be seen over 20in. in length, with the blade Sin. in diameter and scarcely toothed. 



34:. R. rivularis, Ba7iks atid Sol. ex Forst. Prod. n. 524. Glabrous, 

 creeping and stoloniferous, producing tufts of radical leaves and erect stems 

 at each node, or floating and branching irregularly. Leaves on slender 

 petioles lin.— 6in. long, suborbicuiar or ovate, iiu.— lin. in diameter, divided into 

 3, 5, or 7 leaflets, linear or narrow-cuneate, tornatisect or 3-lobed, rarely entire. 

 Peduncles exceeding the leaves. Sepals 5, spreading. Petals 5—10, usually 

 exceeding the sepals, narrow, with a gland below the middle. Aclienes glabrous, 

 sometimes muricatulate or wrinkled, slightly turgid ; style short, slender, 

 straight or recurved. — DC, Syst. Veg. i. 270; A. Cunn., Precurs. n. 630; 

 Hook, f., PI. N.Z. i. 11, and Handbk. 8; A. Gray, Bot. U.S. Expl. Exped. 7; 

 Benth., Fl. Austr. i. 13. 



NOBTH and SOUTH Islands; STEWART Island; CHATHAM Islands: In swamps and 

 streams, &o. Ascends to 2,000ft. Also in Australia. Oct. to Jan. 



Var. major. Suberect, 2m.-12in. high. Leaves tufted ; blade dissected. Stems simple or 

 sparingly branched. Beak of achenes longer. — Benth., Fl. Austr. i. 14 ; Hook, f., Handbk. 8. B. in- 

 cisus, Hook, f., PI. N.Z. i. 10, t. i. R. amphitrica, Gol. in Trans. N.Z.I, xvii. (1884) 237. 



Var. subfluitans. Leaves small, less divided. Peduncles short. — Benth., I.e.; Hook, f.. I.e. 

 R. inundatus, R. Br. in DC. Syst. Veg. i. 269 ; A. Gray, Bot. U.S. Expl. Exped. 9.— Floating or creep- 

 ing in streams or swamps. 



Var. inconsplcuus. Very small and slender, suberect. Leaves dissected. Flowers minute. 

 Achenes few. — Benth., Fl. Austr. i. 13. B. inconspicuus, Hook, f., Fl. Tasm. i. 9, t. 2b. NORTH 

 Island : Pencarrow Lagoon, T.K. 



35. R. acaulis, Banks and Sol. ex DC. Syst. Veg. i. 270. A small gla- 

 brous stoloniferous species, slightly fleshy. Leaves with sheathing petioles lin.— 

 3in. or more, 3-foliolate or 3-lobate ; leaflets obovate or oblong, entire or lobed 

 or toothed, sessile. Scapes shorter than the leaves, naked, 1-flowcred. Sepals 5, 

 broadly ovate, membranous. Petals 5—8, spathulate, 3-nerved, with a gland 

 near the middle of the petal. Achenes forming a globose head, turgid, gla- 

 brous ; style short, straight. — DC, Prod. i. 31 ; A. Cunn., Prod. n. 631 ; Hook, 

 f., Fl. Antarc. i. 4, t. 2 ; Fl. N.Z. i. 11, and Handbk. 8; A. Gray, Bot. U.S. 

 Expl. Exped. 7. R. stenopetalus, Hook., Ic. PI. 677. 



NORTH and SOUTH Islands; STEWART Island; CHATHAM Islands; AUCKLAND Islands: 

 On sea-beaches, but often local. Only known inland at Rotorua and Tarawera Lakes 1 100ft. 

 before the eruption of 1886. Also in Chili. The creeping scions are almost filiform and often sub- 

 terranean. A very distinct species, easily recognised by its flesliy 3-foliolate leaves exceeding the 

 scapes. 



36. R. ternatifolius, r. Kirk in Trans. N.Z.I, x. (1877), App. xxix. 

 Stems filiform, tufted, procumbent, sometimes matted and rooting at the nodes. 



