CROWFOOT FAMILY. 37 



high; stem-leaves not raised on a general petiole; flowers greenish and pur- 

 pJish ; anthers short-linear, drooping on capUlary and upwardly rather thickened 



T. Corntlti, Tali, M. Herb 4° -8° high; stem-leayes not raised on a 

 general petiole; flowers white, in summer; anthers oblong, not drooping- the 

 white filaments thickened upwards. Low or wet ground. ' 



^' APi ''^'^^ red-flowered specira fabled to spring from the blood 



of Adonis, killed by a wild boar.) Stems leafy ; leaves finely much cut 

 into very narrow divisions. Cult, from Europe for ornament. 

 A. autumnalis, Pheasant's-eye A. ® Stems near 1° high, it or the 

 branches terminated by a small flower, of 5-8 scarlet or crimson petals com- 

 monly dark at their base. Has run wild in Tennessee. ' 



A. vernMis, Spring A. U Stems about 6' high, bearing a large showy 

 flower, of 10-20 lanceolate light-yellow petals, in early spring. 



6. MYOSURUS, MOUSETAIL (which the name means in Greek). ® 

 M. minimus. An insignificant little plant, wild or run wild along streams 



from Illinois S., with a tuft of narrow entire root-leaves, and scapes I' -3' high 

 bearing an obscure yellow flower, followed by tail-like spike of fruit of I'-a' 

 long, in spring and summer. 



7. BANUNCULTJS, CROWFOOT, BUTTERCUP. (Latin name for 

 a little frog, and for the Water Crowfoots, living with the frogs.) A large 

 genus of wild plants, except the double-Howered varieties of three species cult, 

 in gardens for ornament. (Lessons, p. 183, fig. 338-361.) 



§ 1. Aquatic; the leaves all or moslli) under water, and repeatedly dissected into 

 many capillary divisions : flowenng all summer. 



R. aquatilis, White Wateb-Ckowfoot. Capillary leaves collapsing 

 into a tuft when drawn out of the water ; petals small, white, or only yellow at 

 the base, where they bear a spot or little pit, but no scale : akenes wrinkled 

 crosswise. 



R. divaric^tus, Stiff W. Like the last, but less common ; the leaves 

 stiff and rigid enough to keep their shape (spreading in a circular outline) when 

 drawn out of water. 



R. multifldus. Yellow W. Leaves under water much as those of the 

 White Water Crowfoot', or rather larger ; but the bright yellow petals as large 

 as those of Common Buttercups, and, like them, with a little scale at the base. 

 (Formerly named R. Purshii, &c.) 



§ 2. Terrestrial, many in wet places, hut naturally grounng vnth the foliage out of 

 water : petals with the little scale at the base, yellow in all the uiild species. 



* Akenes not prickly nor bristly nor striate on the sides. H. 



-I- S^EARWOKT Crowfoots ; growing in very we( places, with mostly entire and 

 narrow leaves : Jl. all summer. 



R. alismsefdlius. Stems ascending, l°-2° high ; leaves lanceolate or the 

 lowest oblong ; flower fully ^' in diameter ; akenes beaked with a straiglit and 

 slender sh^le. 



R. Flammula. Smaller than the last, and akenes short-pointed; rare 

 N., but very common along borders of ponds and rivers is the 



Var. r6ptans, or CREFfpiNG S., with slender stems creeping a few inches in 

 length ; leaves linear or spatulate, seldom 1' long ; flower only 4' broad. 



-1- ••- Small-flowered Crowfoots ; in wet or nunst places, with upper 

 haves 3-parted or divided, and very small flowers, the petals shorter or not longer 

 than the calyx : fl. spring and summer. 



R. abortivus, Small-flowered C. Very smooth and slender, 6' -2° 

 high ; root-leaves rounded, crenate ; akenes in a globular head. Shady places, 

 along watercourses. 



R. seeler&tus, Cursed C. So called because the juice is very acrid and 

 blistering ; stouter than the last and thicker-leaved, equally smooth, even the 



