POLYAXDRIA POLYGYXIA 331 



9. K. buldosus, L. Stem erect, hairy, tuberous at base ; leaves ter- 

 nate, or quinate-pinnate, leaflets 3 to 5-partcd, segments trifid, or incised; 

 peduncles sulcate ; calyx reflcxed, hairy. Beck, Hot. p. 11. 



Bulbous Ranunculus. Vulgo — Butter-cup. Crow-foot. 

 Ga//.-Bassinet. Germ. -Der knollige Hahnenfuss. Hisp.— Boton de Oro, 

 Root perennial, with coarse fibres, tuberous at the neck. Stem 9 to lo inches 

 high, erect, several from the same root, branching, leafy, more or less pilose with 

 appressed hairs. Radical leaves ternate, and quinate-pinnate, hairy, deeply parted 

 and variously incised; segments cuneate, short, obtusely incised-lobcd, on hairy 

 petioles 2 or 3 to 6 inches long; stem leaves deeply and pinnatifidly incised, with 

 narrow linear-lanceolate segments. Peduncles 1 to 3 or 4 inches long, terminal, 

 or opposite th3 leaves, sjmetinus dichotomal, sulcate and angular, pilose with 

 appressed hairs. Calyx reflcxed, hirsute externally. Petals 5 (often numerous), 

 deep shining yellow, cuneate-obovate, sometimes obcordate, with a cuneale-obo- 

 vatc scale at base. Carpels in a globose head, compressed, obovate, smooth, with 

 a 6hort acute recurved beak. 



Hub. Fields and pastures: frequent. Fl. May. Fr. June— July. 



Obs. This is a foreigner. The root is highly acrid, and has been recommended 

 as a rubefacient. Some 15 or 20 additional species have been enumerated in the 

 U. States— several of which probably require further examination. Prof. Hooker 

 describes 30 species in British America. 



B. Flo webs incomplete : Calyx corolla-like. a. Carpels dry. 



2G1. HEPATICA. Dill. Mitt. Gen. 490. 

 [Greek, Hepar, the liver; from a supposed resemblance in its leaves.] 



Involucre near the flower, of 3 entire leaves, resembling a calyx. Se- 

 pals 6 to 9, petaloid, arranged in 2 or 3 series. Ovaries numerous. 

 Carpels awnless or ecaudate. 



Herbaceoics: leaves radical, 3 lobed, somewhat perennial ; scapes 1-flowered. 

 Nat. Ord. 3. Lindl. Ranuxculacbje. 



1. H. triloba, VilL var. obtusa. Leaves cordate-rcniform, 3-lobcd, 

 lobes entire, obtuse. Beck, JBot. p. 6. Icox, Bart. Am. 3. tab. 87. 

 H. americana. DC. Prodr. l.p. 22. Eat. Man. p. 171. 

 Anemone hepatica. Wilkl. Sp. 2. p. 1272. Mx. Am. I. p. 319. Ait. 

 Kev>. 3. p. 336. Pers. Syn. 2. p. 96. var. obtusa, Muhl. Catal.p. 53. 

 Three-lobed Hepatica. Vulgo — Liver-wort. Liver-leaf. 



Root perennial, coarsely fibrous. Leaves an inch and half to 2 inches long, and 

 2 to 3 inches wide, coriaceous, sparingly pilose (silky-viliose when young), pur- 

 plish beneath, nearly equally 3-lobcd ; lobes very entire, obliquely ovate, obtuse, 

 the middle one rounded ; petioles 3 to 5 inches long. Scapes several, 4 to 6 

 inches long, preceding the vernal leaves, silky- villose, sheathed at base, together 

 with the young leaves, by ovatcoblong imbricated stipules. Involucre of 3 ovate 

 leaves near the flower, resembling sepals, villose externally. Sepals elliptic-ob- 

 long, resembling petals, mostly blue, sometimes purplish, rarely white. Carpels 

 lance-oblong, acuminate, pilose, substipitate. 



Hob. Open woodlands : very common. Fl. April. Fr. May— June. 



Obs. The acute-lobed variety, 1 believe, has not yet been observed in Chester 

 County. This plant has acquired much notoriety of late, as a remedy in pulmon. 

 ary disease; but its virtues have, doubtless, been Greatly exaggerated. It is the 

 only species in the U. States. 



