Ranunculus hirsutus. Pale -leaved Crowfoot. 
RANUNCULUS birfutus radice fibrofa annua, caule hirfuto, calycibus papillofo-liifpidis acuminatis, 
demum reflexis. 
RANUNCULUS re&us foliis pallidioribus hirfutus. J. Baubin. in. 4*7- Ratl s y n - P- 2 47> Upright 
pale-leaved Crowfoot. Rail Hi/l. Plant, p. 582. 
FROM having repeatedly obferved, and carefully cultivated this plant, I find it to be perfeftly diftindt 
from the bulbofus, of which it is made a variety by fome authors; ’though Ray and Bauhine long fince 
confidered it as diftindt. 
As its ftiff hairs are one of its charadteriftics, and conftitute a part of its name in Bauhine, I have 
made that its trivial name ; and fliall by way of contrail, enumerate the feveral particulars in which it differs 
from the bulbofus , to which in its general appearance it is nearly allied. 
The root of the bulbofus , which forms one of the chief chambers of that plant, is round and folid like a 
fmall turnip, remaining in the ground from year to year, and annually fending up new flowering items : 
the root of the birfutus on the contrary is limply fibrous and annual. 
The ftalk of the hirfutus is generally more branched and fpreading, producing a greater number of flowers, 
and covered with ftiffer and longer hairs, than in the bulbofus : the hairs indeed in the latter plant are more 
numerous and foft, approaching to pubefcence or downinefs, while in the former they are more rigid, or ap- 
proaching to hifpidity. The foot-ftalks of the bottom leaves in the hirfutus are hollow, and if cut afunder, 
the nerves appear projedting into the infide of the tube; the leaves themfelves are more perfeftly trilobate 
than in the bulbofus ; the middle and outermoft lobe rounder, and lefs deeply divided at the edges. From 
the inner edge of each of the two fide lobes a bit appears as if cut away. Thefe leaves are frequently of a 
white or pale colour, in irregular fpots, not unlike what we fometimes meet with in the Ranunculus picaria ; 
and the upper iurface is full of little projedting points, from whence the hairs ifliie. 
We come now to a charadter which this plant has in common with the bulbofus , viz. its reflexed calyx : 
this has been the caufe of its having been confidered by moft botanifts as the bulbofus : not finding in Linn jeus 
any other Ranunculus with a reflexed calyx, without any farther examination they concluded this to be the fame. 
But although the calyx when turned back refembles that of the bulbofus , yet before the opening of the flower 
it is effentially different, being much more pointed, or as if it had been fqueezed to a point with the fingers ; 
and the outfide of it is very vifibly covered with little papillae or projedting points, from whence the hairs proceed. 
The flowers of this plant, as well as the feed, are alfo fmaller than thofe of the bulbofus. 
Such are the charadters whereby thefe two plants may with attention be diftinguiftied. 
Nor do they differ lefs in their places of growth and times of flowering. The bulbofus grows in dry paftures, 
and flowers in the month of May. The hirfutus flourifhes more by the fides of roads, in gardens, and rubbifh, 
flowering from June to the end of the year. 
I have obferved this plant growing in great plenty by the fide of the road betwixt Croydon and Mitcham ; 
and I remember to have feen it near Gravefend ; and plentifully by the fea-fide ; on the gravelly banks about 
Southampton ; alfo in various places near London : and there is no doubt but it is a much more common plant than 
botanifts may imagine. 
No particular ufes have been attributed to it. 
