CROWFOOT FAMILY. 37 



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

 plish; anthers short-linear, drooping on capillai-y and upwardly rather thickened 

 filaments. 



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

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

 white filaments thickened upwards. Low or wet ground. 



5. ADONIS. (The red-flowered species 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. autumn&lis, 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. vern^is, Spking A. IJ. Stems about 6' high, bearing a large showy 

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



6. MYOStTRITS, 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 l'-2' 

 long, in spring and summer. 



7. RANti'NCULUS, CROWTOOT, 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-flowered varieties of three species cult, 

 in gardens for ornament. (Lessons, p. 88, fig. 245, and p. 120, fig. 376, 377.) 

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



many capillary divisions : floivering all summer. 



R. agu^tilis, White Watek-Crowpoot. 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 

 Btiflf 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 growing with the foliage out of 

 water : petals with the little scale at the base, yellow in alt the wild species. 

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



* Spbarwobt Crowfoots ; growing in very wet places, with mostly entire and 

 narrow leaves : fl. all summer. 



R. alismsef61ius. Stems ascending, 1°- 2° high; leaves lanceolate or the 

 lowest oblong ,• flower fully ^' in diameter ; akenes beaked with a straight and 

 slender style. 



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

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



Var. r6ptailS, or Creeping S., with slender stems creeping a few inches in 

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



1- -I- Small-flowered Crowfoots ; in wet or moist places, with upper 



leaves 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. sceler&tus, Cursed C. So called because the juice is very acrid and 

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



