486 
POLYANDllIA POLYGYNIA. 
Class XIII. 
1233. RANUN'CULUS. W. Caovv-FooT. 
8025 Flammula JV. lesser-Spearw. ^ 
8026 reptans TV. least-Spearw. ^ 
8027 Lingua W. great-Spearw. ^ 
8028 nodiflorus IV. knot-flowered 
8029 gramineus W. grassy ^ 
8030 parnassifolius W. Parnassia-lvd. 
8031 amp1exica61is JV. Plantain-leav'd^ 
8032bullatus W. Portugal A 
8033 Thora W. kidney-leaved 
8034 monspeliacusGoMflw.Montpelier 
8035 lacerus Dec. torn 
8036 ophioglossifoliusD^e.Snake's-tongue-l. 
8037 salsuginosus Pall, salt ^ 
8038 fumariaifolius Desf. fumitory-leav'd A 
or 
cu 
8039creticus JV. 
8040 cassfibicus TV. 
8041 auricomus TV. 
8042 arbortivus JV. 
8043 sceleratus TV. 
8044 aconitifolius VV. 
— . flore plena 
jS plata7iif alius W. 
8045 pedatus TV. en. 
8046illyricus W. 
R. sericeus W. 
8047 asiaticus TV. 
8048 chaerophyllus L. 
8049 ruta?f61ius TV. 
8050 glacialis TV. 
8051 nivalis TV. 
8052 montanus TV. 
8053 alpestris TV. 
8054 pensylvanicus JV. 
8055 bulbosus JV. 
8056 hirsutus H. K. 
8057 marylandicus Ph. 
8058 repens JV. 
(B flore pie no 
8059 polyanthemos JV. 
8060acris TV. 
flore plena 
8025 
Cretan ^ 
Caltha-leaved 
wood ^ 
three-flowered 
Celery-leaved , 
Aconite-leaved ^ 
double-flovuered ^ 
Plane-i7-ee-lvd. 
pedate 
lllyrian 
A eu 
A cu 
A cu 
O 
A 
A 
A 
A 
A 
A 
A 
O 
A 
A cu 
A or 
A or 
A w 
A w 
O P 
A 
A 
A 
A 
A 
or 
Ranunculacece. Sp. 49 — 160. 
jn.s 
jn.s 
jn.au 
my.jl 
ap.jn 
jn.jl 
wa. pi. 
wa. pi. 
mud.d. 
1714. 
aL me. 
ap.my W 
common-gard. 
villous 
Rue-leaved 
two-flowered 
snowy 
mountain 
alpine 
Pensylvanian 
bulbous 
pale hairy 
Maryland 
creeping 
double-flowered 
many-flowered 
upright 
double-flowered 
A or 
A cu 
A pr 
A pr 
A pr 
A pr 
A pr 
Q) w 
A w 
A or 
my.jn 
my.jn 
ap.my 
my.jn 
jn 
ap.my 
my.jn 
ap.my 
jn.jl 
ap.my 
my.au 
my.jn 
my.jn 
my.jn 
jn.jl 
my.jn 
my.jn 
f my.jn 
1 my.jn 
I my.jl 
I jn.au 
I jn.au 
f jn au 
ijn.au 
1 jn.jl 
i my.jn 
1 jn.o 
1 my.jl 
I my.au 
f my.au 
I my.jn 
H jn.jl 
2 jn.jl 
Britain 
Britain 
Britain 
Sicily 
Wales 
S. Europe 1769. 
Pyrenees 1633. 
S. Europe 1640. 
Austria 1710. 
S. France ... 
S. France 1821. 
S. Europe 1823. 
Siberia 1822. 
Candia 
Siberia 
Britain 
1658. 
1794. 
woods. 
N. Amer. 1713. 
Britain wa.pl. 
Al.of Eur. 1596. 
Al.of Eur. 1596. 
Germany 1769. 
Hungary 1806. 
S. Europe 1596. 
1596. 
Levant 
Portugal 
Austria 
Lapland 
Lapland 
Lapland 
Scotland 
N. Amer. 1785. 
Britain me.pa. 
England rubble, 
Pa.Y N. Amer. 1811. 
1759. 
1775. 
1775. 
1775. 
al.riv. 
Britain me.t 
N. Europe 1596. 
Britain me. pa. 
Britain 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
S CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
S CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
S CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D r.m 
D r.m 
D r.m 
D s.l 
D s.l 
D S.1 
S CO 
D p.l 
S CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
D CO 
Eng. bot. 387 
Fl. dan. 108 
Eng. bot. 100 
Bot. mag. 2171 
Eng. bot. 2306 
Bot. mag. 386 
Bot. mag. 266 
M. his. t.31. f.50 
Jac. aus. 5. t.442 
M. his. t. 30. f.43 
Bell. taur. 5. t.8 
Jac. vind. t. 31 
Mo. his.t. 31.f.48 
Bot. mag. 2267 
Eng. bot. 624 
Eng. bot. 681 
Bot. mag. 204 
Fl. dan. Ill 
Bot. mag. 2229 
Jac. aus. 3. t. 222 
Mill. ic. 2. t. 216 
Mo. h. t. 30. f. 44 
Jac. col. 1. 1. 6, 7 
Fl. dan. 19 
Fl. lap. t. 3. f. 2 
Jac. aus. t. 325,6 
Eng. bot. 2390 
Jac. ic. l.t. 105 
Eng. bot. 515 
Eng. bot. 1504 
Eng. bot. 516 
Lob. ic. 666 
Eng. bot. 652 
Bot, mag. 215 
History, Use, Propagation, Culture, 
1233, Ranunculus. Said to be so called from rana, a frog, because the species inhabit humid places 
frequented by that reptile. Renoncule, Fr., Ranunkel, Ger., and Ranuncole, Ital. Some of the species are 
weeds, one or two border flowers, and K. asiaticus is one of our most esteemed florists' flowers. Some of the 
species are tuberous and others bulbous rooted, but the most part are tuberous. R. sceleratus is one of the 
most virulent of our native plants. Bruised and applied to the skin it soon raises a blister, and makes a sore 
by no means easy to heal. Strolling beggars have been said to use it for that purpose, in order to excite 
compassion. When chewed, it inflames the tongue; and when taken into the stomach, it produces violent 
effects. It is suspected to have proved poisonous to sheep. 
R. aconitifolius is a handsome plant, with oranching stems, deep green leaves, and pure white flowers; the 
double variety is an old and much admired border flower. 
Of R. asiaticus the varieties raised from seed are endless. Maddock, in the end of the last centurj', had nearly 
eight hundred, all with proper names, and ranged as purple, gray, crimson, red, rosy, orange, yellow, white, 
olive, coffee, striped, spotted, &c. No plant is more prolific in new varieties from seeds ; no two plants, as 
Maddock observes, producing flowers alike, or the same as the original. Established sorts are propagated by 
offsets, which generally flower the first year : rare sorts may be multiplied by dividing the crown of the tuber 
with a sharp penknife into as many parts as there are buds : these will not flower till the second year, but will 
diminish the risk of losing a very rare variety. 
The ranunculus prefers a fresh loamy soil, rather than otherwise inclined to clay : it should be well manured ; 
and it is customary, in forming the beds, to place a stratum of well rotted cow-dung six or nine inches below 
the surface, which both retains moisture and supplies nourishment. The roots may either be planted in 
November or earlier, in which case, to prevent their being destroyed by the frost, they should be mulched, 
or they need not be planted till March. The former mode gives much the strongest bloom, as the roots, when 
kept in air fijl the winter, are apt to be over dried, and kept in sand they sometimes get mouldy : and in 
this and similar cases, the progress of vegetation from the planting to the ^blossoming period, is more rapid 
than is natural to the species. Ranunculus roots will retain their vegetative properties two and sometimes 
three years ; a thing not common among bulbs and tubers, unless preserved dormant in an ice cold room. 
K. bulbosus has a solid white bulb about the size of that of the common Grocus. The flowers are some- 
