ANUNCULUS ACRIS. UPRIGHT MeADOW CrOWFOOT. 



RANUNCULUS LmnaiGen. PL INSlyandria Polygynia. 



Rail Gen. 15. Herb^ semine nudo, polyspermy* 



RANUNCULUS acrls calycibus patulis, pedunculls teretibus, foliis tripartito-multifidis, fummis linearibus. 

 Linnai Syfi. Vegetab.p. 430. FL Sued c. p. 196. 



RANUNCULUS foliis hirfutis, femitrilobatis, lobis lateralibus bipartitis, foliis caulinis femitrilobis* Ratter* 

 Fiji. n. 1 169. 



RANUNCULUS pratenfis erectus acris* Bauhin. pin. 178. Gerard, effldd. 951* Parkin/on 329. Rail Synopfis, 

 p. 248. Hudfon.FL Angl.p. ill, Scopoli. FL CarnioL p. 398, 



RADIX perennis, e pluribus radiculis albidis conftans. t ROOT perennial, confiding of numerous white fibres. 



CAULIS bipedalis, erectus, fiflulofus, teres, fubpilofus, f STALK generally about two feet high, upright, hollow, 

 apice ramofus. | round, fomewhat hairy, much branched at top. 



FOLIA Radicalia petiolis longis ere&is infidentia, tri- ■% LEAVES : Radical leaves {landing on long upright foot- 

 partita, lobo medio trifido, lateralibus bilobis, | ftalks, tripartite, the middle lobe trifid, the fide 

 omnibus acute dentatis aut incifis, fubhirfutis, | ones bilobous, and all of them fharply indented, 

 fuperne ad bafin prsefertim fepe purpureis, venis % flightly hirfute, the upper furface particularly 

 fubtus extantibus. I at the bafe frequently of a purple colour, the 

 Caulina radicalibus fimilia, in lacinias tenuiores % veins underneath prominent 

 vero divifa et petiolis brevioribus infidentia, | Leaves of the Stalk like the radical leaves, but 

 tandem linearia, feffilia. ^ more finely divided, and ftanding on fhorter foot- 

 Petioli cum vaginis hirfuti. ftalks, at top linear and feifile. The footstalks 



I with their flieaths hairy. 



PEDUNCULI teretes. I FOOT-STALKS of the Flowers round. 



t 



CALYX : Perianthium pentaphyllum, patens, fla- y CALYX : a Perianthium of five leaves, fpreading, of 

 vefcens, pilofum, foliolis ovatis, concavis, ob- | a yellow colour and hairy, the leaves oval, con- 



tufis, margine membranaceis, fg. 1. | cave, and membranous at the edges, jig. 1. 



% 

 COROLLA: Petala quinque flava, nitentia, fubcor- % COROLLA: five Petals, yellow and mining, nearly 

 data nunc emarginata, nunc integra, fig. 2. | heart-fhaped, fometimes notched, lometimes 



% entire, fg. 2. 



? 

 STAMINA: Filamenta plurima, apice paululum di- | STAMINA: Filaments numerous, a little dilated at 

 latata,j%. 5. 4. Anthers flava;, fubincurvatae, t top, fig. 5. 4. A nther.^e yellow, obtufe, bend- 



obtufae, fig. 4. I ing a little inward, fig. 4. 



t 

 NECTx^RIUM : fquamula emarginata, ad bafm petalo- t NECTARY : a fmall fcale, flightly notched at top, at 

 rum, fig. 3. I the bafe of each Petal, fig. 3. 



? 

 PISTILLUM: Germina numerofa, in capitulum col- | PISTILLUM : Germina numerous, forming a little 

 lecla, StylihuIH; Stigmata reflexa,j^-. 6. X head; Styles none, Stigmata reflex, fig. 6. 



i 



SEMINA : plurima, fubrotunda, comprefla, fufca, apice | SEEDS numerous, roundifh, flat, of a brown colour, 

 reflexa. fig. 7. I bending back at the tip, fig, 7. 



Moft of the Ranunculi or Crowfoots are acrid and in fome degree poifonous, and the fpecies above defcribed poflefies 

 this property in a very confiderable degree ; hence Linnaeus has given it the name of acrh ; even pulling up the plant 

 and carrying it to fome little diflance we have known fufficient to produce a confiderable inflamation in the palm of 

 of the perfon's hand who held it. Cattle in general will not eat it, yet fometimes when they are turned hungry 

 into a new field of Grafs, or have but a fmall fpot to range in they will feed on it, and hence their mouths, as we 

 have been credibly informed, have become fore and bliftered. When made into hay it lofes its acrid property, but is 

 too ftalky and hard to afford good Nourifhment. It mould feem therefore to be the interefr. of the Farmer as much 

 as pofiible to root out this fpecies from his Meadows that its place may be fupplied with good fweet grafs. 



It grows too frequently in moft of our meadows, and flowers in June and July. 



The common people about Town and in many parts of the country call this and the other yellow Crowfoots by 

 the names of Butter-cups and Butter-flowers, and this name feems to have originated from a fuppofition that the yellow 

 colour of butter was owing to thefe plants ; that this mould be the cafe feems fcarce probable, certainly it receives 

 no good tafle from it. 



