The Siberian specimens have, on the olher hand, more quadrangular leaves, with 

 a square cut base, only rarelj' and quite exceptionally somewhat cordately incised. 

 The indentations of the leaves are fewer in number, and coarser, generally 3 or 5, with 

 much deeper and broader incisions, and with nearly cuneate or triangular teeth, 

 subacute or subrotundate at the apex, generally more or less distinctly pointing up- 

 wards. The shape of the leaves in both the species is, for the rest, rather much varying, 

 and in the figure annexed I have brought together a fairly rich material from different 

 regions of Siberia and America in ord^r to represent the range of the variations of the 

 leaves. 



After observing this difference in the structure of the leaves, I have made a more 

 minute comparison between the Siberian and American specimens. 



There proved, indeed, to be a typical and absolutely constant difference in the 

 shape of the petals. These are very small, generally only from 3 to 5 mm. long. Fig. 89 

 shows the distinctions in the petals, and has been drawn from a great variety of speci- 

 mens taken in various localities. Fig. a — i show petals of American specimens, fig. 

 n — t of various Siberian ones. It will appear that the size of the petals is much vary- 

 ing, and so is the proportion between length and breadth. There is, on the other hand, 

 a marked difference in the shape of the petals in these two types. Thus, all of the 

 American specimens are seen to have all but obovate petals, broadest above the 

 middle, and broadly rounded at the top, in the lower part gradually tapering, passing 

 by degrees into the equally broad claw. 



The petals of the Siberian specimens, on the contrary, are pointedly ovate, sub- 

 acutish at the top, broadest below the middle, rounded at the base, and abruptly nar- 

 rowed into the claw. This shape of the petals is constant in all the Siberian specimens 

 1 have examined. 



There is, according to the above mentioned, a difference so strongly marked, based 

 upon absolutely constant systematic characters, between the American specimens and 

 the Siberian ones that I have found it necessary to seperate them into 2 distinct species. 

 As PuRSCH has described the species from American material, the name of Ranunculus 

 Cymbalaria will have to be maintained for this one, the Siberian type being separated 

 as a distinct species: 



Ranunculus (Oxygraphis) subsimilis nov. spec. 



Radix fibrosa. Humilis, tantummodo 2 — 6 cm. alta, glabra vel pilis sparsis 

 instructa, stolones repentes uberius emittens. Folia basalia erecla, longe petiolaia, petioli 

 2 — 5 cm. longi, basin versus marginibus membranaceis dilataii. Lamina 5—15 mm. 

 longa, glabra, in circuilu fere quadrata, basi plus minus rede abscissa, superne leviter 

 altenuata, antice 3 — 5 dentibus grossis vel lobis instructa, postice integerrima; lobi plus 

 minus distincte subtriangulares, basi laiissimi, superne cuneatim attenuati, apice 

 subobtusi vel subacuti. Caules fioriferi erecti, teretes, aphylli, foliis basilaribus aequi- 

 longi, rare foliorum longitudinem paulo superantes, vulgo simplices, uniflori, raro 

 ramosi, bi-vel triflori. Diameter floris 6—9 mm. Sepala ^i^—5 mm. longa, excavata, 



239 



