454 
THE WILD SPECIES OF RANUNCULUS. 
A herbaceous perennial with numerous fibrous 
roots, and erect, branching, many -flowered 
stems, growing a foot high. The flowers are 
not very numerous, but of a bright golden 
yellow : sometimes the petals are absent ; the 
calyx is coloured, and seems to supply the 
place of petals. Flowers in April and May. 
Found not uncommonly in dry woods and 
shady places. This is a far less acrid plant 
than many of the genus. Dr. Withering curi- 
ously remarks of this plant, that during the 
season for the leafing of trees, the petals are 
wanting, two or three are produced during the 
season of the flowering of trees, and five in 
the season of their fruiting. 
Ranunculus sceleratus, Linnaeus (celery- 
leaved, or water Crowfoot). — Root fibrous ; 
stems hollow ; leaves shining, radical ones tri- 
partite with blunt segments, upper ones trifid 
with linear segments; calyx refl.ez.ed ; fruit in 
oblong heads ; carpels minute wrinkled. This 
is an annual plant, growing from one to two 
feet high, with an erect much-branching stem, 
which throws out whorls of fibrous roots from 
its lower joints. The leaves and stems are 
smooth and shining. The flowers are very small, 
and pale yellow. Flowers from June to August. 
Found commonly in watery places. It is one 
of the most acrid of our native species, the 
juice producing considerable inflammation in 
a very short time. The plant is said to be 
used by vagrants to produce ulcers, in order 
to excite compassion. Two drops of the juice, 
or a bit of a leaf or flower, produce acute pain 
in the stomach, and a burning in the throat. 
Ranunculus alpestris, Linnaeus (Alpine 
white Crowfoot). — Root fibrous ; stem mostly 
single flowered ; leaves smooth, radical ones 
roundish -heart -shaped, three to five lobed, 
upper ones, one or two, linear, or cut into 
linear segments ; calyx smooth, reflexed ; car- 
pels obovate, with a straight beak, hooked at 
the end. A perennial herbaceous plant, of 
rather a pretty character. It grows from four 
to six inches high, with an erect simple stem, 
and large white flowers, the petals of which 
are obcordate. Flowers in May. Found on 
the Clova mountains in Scotland. A very 
pretty species, and worth introducing to the 
garden, where it would succeed well on rock- 
work in rather damp situations. 
Ranunculus bulbosus, Linnaeus (bulbous 
Crowfoot or Buttercup). — Root fibrous; stems 
bulbous at the base ; radical leaves ternate or 
tripartite, the segments trifid, upper ones cut 
into narrow segments; peduncles furrowed ; 
calyx rejlexed, hairy ; carpels smooth, round, 
with a short beak ; receptacle hairy. A her- 
baceous perennial, with an erect hairy branch- 
ing stem, from one to two feet high. The root- 
leaves have dilated sheathing petioles. The 
flowers are rather large, and of a bright golden 
yellow colour ; the carpels are arranged in a 
roundhead. Flowers in May and June. Found 
commonly in meadows and pastures. "We have 
seen this plant from the downs of Sussex so 
diminutive — one to two inches high — as to be 
hardly recognisable. It is the most common 
of our crowfoots, and possesses the acridity 
and pungency common to these plants : in a 
fresh state it is very acrid, and is refused by 
cattle ; but in drying it loses some of its dele- 
terious properties, and its stimulating quali- 
ties are then useful in conjunction wdth other 
herbage ; hence it becomes a valuable com- 
ponent of hay, when not in too large a propor- 
tion. When fresh it vesicates with less pain 
than canthai'ides. 
Ranunculus hirsutus, Curtis (pale hairy 
Crowfoot). — Root fibrous ; stems pubescent ; 
cut into narrow acute segments; radical 
leaves ternate and trifid ; upper ones cut 
into narrow acute segments ; peduncles 
furrowed; calyx reflexed, hairy; earpels 
round, with one or two tuberculated marginal 
lines. An annual plant, with a more or less 
branching stem, from a few inches to two feet 
I high. The flowers are of a pale golden yel- 
low, with roundish ovate petals ; the carpels 
form a round head. Flowers from June to 
October. Found in wet meadows and waste 
ground. It is also called, R. Philonotis. Very 
variable in size : when small it is the R. par- 
vidus. and when nearly smooth it is the R. 
intermedins. 
Ranunculus re-pens, Linnaeus (creeping 
Crowfoot). — Root fibrous, from a tuberous 
base ; stem erect, with creeping scions from 
the base ; leaves ternate, three-lobed, the lobes 
trifid; peduncles furrowed ; calyx pubescent, 
spreading ; carpels oval, glabrous, with a 
longish slightly curved beak ; receptacle hairy. 
