Ranunculus bulbosus. Round-rooted or 
Bulbous Crowfoot. 
RANUNCULUS Linmei Gen. Pi. Polyandria Polygynia. 
Rail Syn: Gen. 15. Herbie semine nudo polyspermy. 
RANUNCULUS bulbofus, calycibus retroflexis, pedunculis fulcatis, caule eredto multifloro, foliis compofitis. 
Linnai Syfi. Vegetab. p. 430. Sp. Pl. 778. FI. Suecic. 196. 
RANUNCULUS radice fubglobofa, foliis hirfutis, femitrilobis, lobis petiolatis acute ferratis. Haller, hifi. 
V: 2. p. 74. 
RANUNCULUS Scopoli F l. Carni v. I . p. 400. Diagn. Radix globofa. Calyces reflexi. Squamula nec- 
tarifera obtufe trigona^ 
RANUNCULUS pratenfis radice verticilli modo rotunda. Bauhin. pin. 179. Fufchii Icon. 160.' Gerard \ emaC* 
953. Parkinfon 329. Rail Synop. 247. HudfonFl. Angi. 21 1. FI. D an. Icon. 551. 
RADIX perennis* ftibrotunda, albida, folida, fliperne et 
inferne depreffior, hinc radicem Rap« quodam- 
modo referens. 
CAULIS pedalis, teres, eredlus , fiftulofus, hirfutus, ra- 
mofus. 
FOLIA radicalia petiolis longis, hirfutis, ball vaginan- 
tibus infidentia, fubprocumbentia, hirfuta, ve- 
nofa, trilobata, lobo medio majori et longius 
petiolato, femitrifido, fegmentis acute incilis ; 
lobis lateralibus trifidis, -legmentis inferioribus 
profundius divifis ; caulina lubfeffilia in lacinias 
plures tenuiores divila. 
PEDUNCULI fulcati. 
CALYX: Perianthium pentaphyllum, foliolis ova- 
tis, concavis, reflexis ,, pilofis, apice obtufiufcu- 
lis, margine membranaceis, bafi Jubpellucidis, 
fg- ■■ . . . 
COROLLA Petala quinque obcordata, flava, nitentia, 
fig- 2. 
NECTARIUM: fquamula flava fubemarginata ad bafin 
petali fig. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta plurima, receptaculo inferta ; 
Anther Y oblongas, flavas, fubincurvatx, Jig 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germina numerofa in capitulum collec- 
ta; Styli nulli; Stigmata minima reflexa, 
fig- 5- 
SEMINA plurima comptefla, fufca, mucronata. Levia, 
arillata, Jig. 6. 
Fig. 7, Arillus, Jig. 8, femen denudatum. 
? ROOT perennial, roundifh, white and folid, flattened a 
I little both at top and bottom, hence lomewhat 
¥ refembling a Turnep. 
I STALK a foot high, round, upright, hollow, hairy and 
I branched. 
I LEAVES : the radical leaves placed on long hairy foot- 
| ftalks, which at bottom embrace the {talk, 
¥ fomewhat procumbent, hairy, veiny, and di- 
I vided into three lobes ; the mid-lobe largeft and 
* placed 011 a longer foot-ftalk than the others, 
¥ divided half way down into three fegments 
I which are {harply cut in ; the fide-lobes trifid, 
¥ the lower fegments more deeply divided than 
the others ; the leaves of the Jlalk nearly feffile, 
I deeply divided into numerous and narrower feg- 
¥ ments. 
I FOOT-STALKS of the flowers grooved. 
¥ CALYX : a Perianthium of five leaves, the leaves 
oval, hollow, turned back and hairy, bluntilh at 
I top, membranous at the edges, thin and fiome- 
¥ what tranjparent at bottom, Jig. 1 . 
I COROLLA : five Petals, heart-lhaped, yellow, and 
f fliining. Jig. 2. 
I NECTARY : almall yellow fcale at the bottom of the 
I petal, with a flight indentation at top, fig.. 3. 
¥ STAMINA; Filaments numerous and inferted into 
I the receptacle ; An T her je oblong, yellow, and 
I bending a little inwards, fig. 4. 
¥ PISTILLUM : Germina numerous^ colle&ed into a 
I little head; Styles none; Stigmata very 
¥ {mail and bending back, fig. 5. 
I SEEDS numerous, flat, brown, fmooth, pointed, and 
covered with an Arillus, fig. 6. 
¥ Fig. 7, the Arillus,^. 8. the feed taken out of it. 
THIS Crowfioot has been confidered by fome Authors as the fame Species with the Ranunculus referti, but certainly 
without any propriety, for there can be no doubt but they are as diftinft as any two fpecies of Ranunculus whatever. 
It is diftinguiihed from th erepens by feveral peculiarities, the principal of which are, 1 ft, its reflexed calyx, the turning 
back of which does not depend onany accidental cifcumftances, but folely on its particular ftru&ure ; if it be plucked 
off, and held up to the light, the lower half of it will appear thin and almoft tranfparent, hence not having a fuffi- 
cient degree of folidity to fupport itfelf upright, it is refledled downwards ; — adly, the root in this fpecies is round, 
and folid-, in the repens it is fibrous : and 3dly, (which perhaps maybe Confidered as the moft eflential difference) the 
flalk of the bulbofus is never known to throw out any Stolones or Creepers , which the repens always does in every foil and 
fituation 
This Species blows earlier than either the upright or creeping Crowfoot, and is the fecond flower, which next to 
the Dandelion covers our meadows and paftures with that delightful yellow* which almoft dazzles the eye of the 
beholder. 
Like the reft of the Crowfoots it poflefles the property of inflaming and bliftering the flein, but more particularly 
the Root, which is faid to raife blifters with lei's pain and more fafety, than Spaniih flies ; and hence where Blifters 
have been thought necefl’ary, thefe roots have been applied for that purpole, particularly to the Joints in cafes of the 
Gout. On being kept they loofe their {Emulating quality, and are even eatable when boiled. 
Hoffman informs us that Beggars make ufe of them to blifter their {kins in order to excite compafiion. 
The Juice of this herb is faid to be more acrid than that of the Ranunculus fice/eratus, and if applyed to the noftrils 
it provokes lneezing. 
Hogs are fond of the roots and will frequently dig them up. 
It abounds in dry paftures, and flowers in May ; it is cultivated when double as well as the upright meadow Crow- 
foot, which laft occurs in almoft every Garden, under the name of Fellow Batchelors Buttons. 
