part 2] PRE GLACIAL ELOBAS FHOM CASTLE EDEN. 121 



EANTJNCULACE^]. 



Ranunculus (Batbachium) sp. (PI. VIII, fig. 11.) 



Length="9 mm. ; breadth = - S mm. 



A single half-carpel without the epicarp shows the highly charac- 

 teristic sculpture of this section of the genus Ranunculus, elongate 

 parallel-sided pits giving rise to longitudinal striations, with 

 horizontal wave-like ridges. 



The achene differs from any recent species of the section that I 

 have been able to find, in being round not obovate, and in being 

 more inflated ; it is also very small, only one or two species being 

 as small. 



While working recently at material sent to me from the base of 

 the Pliocene of Pont-de-Gail (Cantal) by M. P. Marty, 1 found 

 "two achenes identical in size and shape with this, but differing in 

 having thicker walls and the sculpture apparently not so coarse 

 and bold. The Pont-de-G-ail species is in a better state of preser- 

 vation and retains the epicarp, so that it is difficult to compare the 

 two ; therefore, until more material is obtained from Castle Eden, 

 1 cannot say whether they are the same. The Pont-de-Grail species 

 lias been described under the name of R. gailensis. 



PiANUNCULUS nodielobus Linnams. (PL VIII, fig. 13.) 



Length=l - 3 to 1*8 mm.; breadth = 1 to l - 2 mm. Average 

 length =l - 6 mm. ; average breadth =1 "2 mm. 



A small tuberculate Ranunculus occurs at Castle Eden, which 

 resembles a species described from Tegelen as R. cf. humilis l in 

 size, shape, and surface-pitting, but differs in the degree of develop- 

 ment of its tubercles. The degree of difference is this. Forms 

 with highly-developed tubercles occur at Tegelen only ; non- 

 tuberculate forms occur at » Castle Eden only ; intermediate 

 forms with low rounded tubercles occur at both places. 



I have again examined both the Teglian species and R. humilis. 

 The Teglian species is smaller than the recent. Both it and the 

 Castle-Eden species are in much closer agreement with R. nocli- 

 Jiorus Linnseus (PL VIII, fig. 12), and this species shows the same 

 degree of variation in the character of its tubercles as is seen in the 

 Teglian and Castle-Eden fossils. Both the Castle- Eden and 

 the Teglian fossils should, I think, be referred to this species. 

 It is closely related to R. humilis, but has a different range, 

 occurring throughout Central Europe and the Orient. 



Ranunculus latebiflobus De Candolle, var. ('?). (PL VIII, 

 fig. 14.) 



Length = l - 9 to 2'5 mm. ; breadth = l - 2 to 1*7 mm. 



Another tuberculate Ranunculus occurs at Castle Eden, which is 



1 ' The Fossil Flora of Tegelen, &c.' 1907, p. 15 &pl. i, fig. 6 (Verhandl. K. 

 Akad. Wetensch. Amsterdam, sect. 2, pt. xiii, No. G). 



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