Obdeb 1— RANUNCULACBjB. 207 



and hifls. Boot a cluster of fleshy fibres. Root Ivs. on petioles 3 — 8' long, ter- 

 nate, witli the middle segment long-stalked and again pinnately ternate ; lateral 

 segra. mostly sessile, all 3 — 5 cleft into acute lobes. Sterna never creeping. 

 Pubescence silky, appressed. Fls. bright yellow, 1' broad. Petals spatulatn- 

 obovate, with a broad scale. Beak of the carpels slender. Apr., May. 



13 R. rSpena L. Root fibrous; radical Ivs. ternate with stalked leaflets; pedun- 

 cles furrowed; carp, broadly margined and pointed. — In moist and shady places. 

 Early flowering stems erect ; later branches from the base prostrate, 1 — 3 — 4f 

 long, generally hirsute at the base. Petioles hairy, long. Lvs. hairy on the 

 veins, dark greon, ternate, the Ifts. ovate or broadly crenale, variously lobed and 

 cleft, all (or at least the middle ones) petioliilate. Fls. middle size, bright yel- 

 low. Fr. in a round head. May, — Jl. Varies exceedingly in different locaKtiea 

 and stages of growth. Some of its more striking forms are : 



^. LiNEARiLoBDS. St. Very long, floriferoua, smoothish ; lobes of lvs. very nar- 

 row. Fruit not strongly margined. 



y. HiBPiDUS. Stem and petioles densely hirsute with soft-spreading hairs ; Ifts. 

 all distinctly stalked, deeply parted. Fr. short-pointed. 



S. NiTiDUS. Mostly erect, glabrous; fls. large, sep. reflexed; fr. strongly mar- 

 gined. Common South. Probably a distinct species. 



14 R. palm^tus EU. Lvs. palmakly 3 — 5 cleft or divided, with the sinus at bas» 

 dosed, the segm. all sessile and cut-toothed or lohed; carp, few, margined, and 

 straight-beaked. — In wet barrens. Car. to Fla. St. 12 — 16' high, with a few 

 slender branches, pubescent. Lvs. all petiolate, pentangular in outline, 1 — 2' 

 wide, with appressed pubescence. Upper lvs. of 3 linear segments. Fls. few, 

 yellow, small (6 — 8" diam.) Fr. compressed. 



15 R, ^cria L. Butter-cups. St. erect, many-flowered ; lvs. more or less pu- 

 bescent, deeply trifld, with flie base segm. divaricate, all laciniale, upper ones with 

 linear segments ; ped. terete ; cal. hairy, spreading ; carp, roundish, smooth, com- 

 pressed ; beak short, recurved. — This is the most common species in N. Eng. and 

 Can., in meadows and pastures, rapidly and extensively spreading. St. 1 — 2f 

 high, round, hollow, mostly hairy. Lvs. l\ — 3' diam., upper ones in 3 linear seg- 

 ments. Fls. large (1' diam.), golden yellow. Jn., Sept. 



p. PLfeN'A. Fls. double, the petals excessively multiplied. Gardens, 



16 R. Pennsylvdnioua L. Hirsute, with stiff, spreading hairs ; lvs. ternate, Ifts. 

 sub-petiolaie, deeply 3-lobed, incisely serrate ; cal. reflexed, rather longer than the 

 roundish petals ; carp, tipped with a short, straight style. — A very hairy species 

 in wet grounds, Can. and TJ. S. Stem IJ — 3f higli. Lv3. 2 — 3' diam., Ifts. 

 strongly veined and with spreading segments. Fls. numerous, small, bright 

 yellow. Fruit in dense oblong or cylindrical heads. — Jn., Aug. (E. hispidus 

 Ph.) 



17 R. sceler^tua PIi. Smooth; lower lvs. Z-parted, segm. 3-lobed, crenaidy 

 incised, or entire; carp, minute, pointless. — Grows in wet places, Can. to Ga. 

 St. rather thick, hollow, much branched, 1 — l^f high. Lower petioles 3-«-5' 

 long, with rather large, palmately 3 — 5-parted leaves. Floral lvs. or bracts 

 mostly simple, lanceolate and entire. Fls. small, yellow. Cal. reflexed, as long 

 as the minute petals. Hds. of carpels only 2 — 3" long. This is one of the most 

 acrid of the tribe, and will raise blisters upon the skin. Jn., Jh 



18 R. reourvStua L. Hirsute with thin, spreading hairs ; lvs. all similarly Z-paried, 

 segm. oval, unequally incised, the lateral ones 2-lobed; cal. recurved, longer 

 than the lanceolate petals ; ach. with a hooked beak. — About If high, in damp 

 woods. Lab. to Fla. Pale green, branching above. Lvs. H — 2' long, 2 — 3J' 

 wide, on petioles 3 — 6' long. Upper lvs. subseasile and 3-parted quite to the 

 base. Fls. small, with inconspicuous, pale yellow petals. Carp, ovate, tipped 

 with long, hooked beaks. May — Jl. 



19 R. bulbdsiis L. Hairy; st. erect, buWou at the base; radical lvs. ienuUe, 

 Ifts. petiolate, incisely dentate, each about 3-cleft; ped. furrowed, cal. reflexed. — 

 This is another acrid species, very common in pastures, mow-lands, Sx. Rt. 

 fleshy. St. leafy, furrowed, 6 — ! 8' high, hollow, thickened at the base into a 

 sort of bulb, and dividing above into upright peduncles, with golden yellow 



