The BRITISH HERBAL. 
17 
Ic is common in watery places, and flowers in 
J Line. 
C. Bauhine calls ic Ranunculus palujlris apii- 
folio la-vis. J, Bauhine, Ranuncidus pahipis flor& 
minimo. 
9. Great Spearwort. 
Ranunculus latifoUus five fiammeus major. 
The root is a clufter of thick, whitifli fibres. 
The leaves rifing from it are a foot long, an 
incli and half broad, of a pale green, and with 
fcarce any footftalks. 
The ftalk is thick, flefiiy, ereft, and three foot 
high. 
The leaves ftand alternately, and are eight or 
ten inches long, and an inch broad, fmooth, even 
at the edges, and pointed at the ends. 
The flowers are very large, and of a beautiful 
yellow. They ftand at the rops of the branches, 
and have a tuft of pale yellow threads in the 
middle. 
The feeds follow in large, naked cliifters. Ir 
grows in fhallow, muddy waters in the ifle of Ely 
and fome otherr places ; bnt is not common. 
C. Bauhine calls it Ranunculus longifolius pa- 
lujiris major. J. Bauhine, Ranunculus folio longo 
maximus. Lingua Plinii. 
It is a very ftately and beautiful fpecies. 
10. Lefler Spearwort, 
Ranunculus avguJlifoUus five fiamnieus minor. 
The root is compofed of many thick, whitifh 
fibres. 
The leaves rifing from it are long and narrow ; 
and they Hand on long footftalks. 
The llalks are numerous, fiefliy, branched, and 
not altogether cre^l. 
The leaves Hand irregularly on them ; and are 
{.blong, narrow, even at the edges, and pointed 
at the end. 
The flowers fland at the tops of the branches, 
and are fmall, but of a bright yellow. 
The feeds ftand in little, naked cluflers. 
It is common about waters; and flowers in 
June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Ranunculus longifolius fa- 
hjlris miner. C. Bauhine, Ranunculus longifoHus 
aliis flammula. 
The leaves of this fpecies are fometimcs notch- 
ed at the edges ; in which condition it has been 
defcribed by many as a diftinft fpecies, under the 
■name of Ratiunculus fiammeus ferratus ; but it is 
only an accidental variety. 
11. Ivy-leaved Water Crowfoot. 
Ranur.cuhis aqnaiicus hcder^e folio. 
The root is a tuft of white, thick fibres. 
The leaves rifing from it are roundifh, but 
dented in three or four places at the edges, and 
of a pale green. 
The fl:alks rife in the centre of this tuft of 
■leaves, and fpread themfelves on the furface of 
the water. They are numerous, weak, irregular 
in their fliape, and jointed. From every joint 
tliere grow fibres of new roots; fo that the ori- 
ginal root and its leaves are prefently loir; and 
■the plant propi'.gates iifelf at large, fpreading 
every way, and rooting every where. 
N^ 2. 
The leaves rife from the joints of the flalk, and 
fland on long footftalks. They are of a trian- 
gular figure, but obtufe at the corners, and a 
little dented; fo that they refemble the leaves of 
ivy. They float on the water or lie upon tlie 
mud; and commonly have a black fpot in the 
middle. 
The flowers are final! and white. They grow 
on footftalks oppofitc the leaves ; and confill 
each of five petals, with a tuft of threads in the 
centre, 
The feeds follow in a clofe, compa'ct, fmall, 
round head. 
It is common in fliallow waters ; and flowers 
in May. 
J. Bauhine calls it Ranunculus be dcraceus rivu- 
lorum fs extendens atra macula notatus. Others 
Ranunculus aquaticus hederaceus. 
12. Various-leaved Water Crowfoot. 
Ra7!unculus aquaticus foliis rotundis el capilb.ceis. 
The root is a tuft of Jong and thick fibres, 
which penetrate deep into the mud, or other bot- 
tom of the water. 
The firft leaves from them are finall, and di- 
vided into a few long fcgments ; but thefe wither 
when the fl:alks grow up. 
The ftalks are long, hollow, thick, but weak, 
and divided into many branches. They are 
jointed at diftances ; and they float along the 
water. 
'J he leaves are of two diflinfl: kinds. Thofe 
which are under water are of a dark green colour, 
and are divided into numerous very fine ferments. 
Tliofe that lie upon the furface afe entire, and 
roundifli, but deeply notched. Thefe fland alio 
on long footftalks. 
The flowers are large and white. They ftand 
on long ftalks, which rife oppofite to thofe of 
the leaves, and are compofed each of five petals, 
wirh a tlift of threads with yellow buttons in the 
m iddlc. 
'I he feed is fmall, and ftands in a round head. 
It is common in fhallow waters ; and flowers 
in June. 
J, Bauhine calls it Ranunculus aqu.aticus tenui- 
foliis. C. Bauhine, Ranuyiculus aquaticus folio 
rtoundo et capillaceo. Others, Ranunculus foliis 
vari'is. 
13. Fine-leaved Water Crowfoot, 
Ranunculus aquaticus foliis majortbus capillaceis. 
The root is a tuft of long and tough fibres, 
The firft leaves are long, and divided into 
very narrow fegments ; fo that they much re- 
femble thofe on the ftalks of fennell. 
The ftaik is two foot or more in length ; round, 
thick, but weak ; and very much branclud. 
The leaves ftand irregularly, and are large, 
but divided into multitudes of fine, narrow feg. 
ments. Their colour is a deep green ; and thece 
are no others. The plant is commonly immerfed 
altogether under water ; but if any part of it ap- 
pear above, the leaves are the fame with thofe 
below ; not various, as in the preceding fpecies. 
The flowers are fmall and white, and have a 
tuft of threads in the centre with yellow buttons. 
The feeds ftand in little, round heads, fmaller 
alfo than the former. 
F It 
