Ranunculus Flammula. Small Spear-Wort. 
RANUNCULUS Linn. Gen. P/. Polyandria Polygynia. 
Cal. 5-phyllus. Pctala 5, intra ungues, poro mellifero. Sra.riuda. 
Ran. Syn. Gen. 15. Herb.® semine nudo polyspermy. 
RANUNCULUS Flammula foliis ovato-lanceolatis petiolatis caule declinato. Linn. Syjl. Vegetab. ed 14. 
Murr p. 515. Sp. PI. ed. 3. p. 772. FI. Suec. n. 494. Scop. FA Cam. ed. 2 . 
n. 082. Hud/. Angl. ed. 2. p. 240. Procumbent Crow-Foot or Spear-Wort. 
Lightfoot Scot. V. 1. p. 288. An lus-mor, Ghlais-leun Gaulis. 
RANUNCULUS foliis ovato-oblongis integerrimis, caule procumbente. FI. Lapp. 325. 
RANUNCULUS caule declinato foliis elliptico-lanceolatis fubferratis. Hall. Hijl. 1182. 
RANUNCULUS longifolius paluftris minor. Bauh. Pin. 180. 
RANUNCULUS flammeus minor. Ger. 814. fig. 2. the leffer Spear- Wort; alfo, Ranunculus flam- 
meus ferrat, fig. 3. emac. p. 961. fig. 2, 3. Rail Syn. ed. 3. p. 250. the leffer 
Snpar.Wort 
RANUNCULUS paluftris flammeus minor five anguftifolius. Park. Tbeat. p. 1214. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa, fibris ftmplicibus, majufculis. 
CAULES pedales et ultra, fubere£li, flexuofi, parum 
comprefli, fubangulofi, pubefcentes, purpu- 
reo-virides, ramon. Rami breves, alterni, diva- 
ricati. 
FOLIA radicalia ovato-lanceolata, utrinque acuta, 
longe petiolata, petiolo canaliculati com- 
preflo ; caulina remota, oblongo -lanceolata, 
brevius petiolata, petiolis baft dilatatis, vagi- 
nantibus ; fuprema et floralia linearia ; om- 
nia lsevia, nunc integerrima, nunc plus minus 
dentata, dentibus obtufis, insequalibus, callo- 
fis, fubfufcis. 
FLORES in caulium ramorumque fummitate, flavi. 
CALYX: Perianthium 5-phyllum, foliolis ovatis, 
obtufis, villofiufculis, concavis, lutefcentib us, 
deciduis, fig. 1 . 
COROLLA : Petala 5, calyce triplo longiora, rotun- 
dato-fubobcordata, patentia, parum concava, 
flava, fuperne fplenaentia, ungue breviflimo, 
te- 2- 
NECTARIUM: foveola in ungue cujufvis petali. 
STAMINA: Filamenta plurima, ad 30, Corolla 
multo breviora ; Anthery ereaas, oblongas, 
didymas, flavas. 
PISTILLUM: Germina numerofa in capitulum col- 
lefta ; Styli nulli; Stigmata reflexa, 
te- 3 - 
ROOT perennial, fibrous, fibres fimple, and rather 
large. 
STALKS a foot high or more, fomewhat upright, 
crooked, a little flattened, {lightly angular, 
downy, of a purplifh green colour, branched; 
Branches fhort, alternate, divaricating. 
LEAVES next the root ovato-lanceolate, pointed at 
each end, ftanding on long foot-ftalks, the 
foot-ftalk hollow on one fiae, and flattened, 
thofe of the ftalk oblong-lanceolate, ftanding 
on fhorter foot-ftalks, which are dilated, and 
fheathing at the bafe; the uppermoft, and 
thofe next the flowers, linear; all of them 
fmooth, fometimes perfectly entire, fome- 
times more or lefs toothed, teeth obtufe, 
unequal, callous, and of a brownifh colour. 
FLOWERS on the top of the ftalk and branches 
yellow. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves, which are 
ovate, obtufe, {lightly villous, concave, yel- 
lowifh and deciduous,^-. 1. 
COROLLA ; five Petals, thrice as long as the calyx, 
roundifh, and fomewhat inverfely heart- 
fliaped, fpreading, {lightly concave, yellow, 
on the upper fide glolfy, claw very fhort, 
te • 2. 
NECTARY : a little cavity in the claw of each petal. 
STAMINA: Filaments numerous, to thirty, much 
fhorter than the Corolla ; Anther & upright, 
oblong, double, and yellow. 
PISTILLUM: Germina numerous, forming a little 
head; Styles none; Stigmata bent back, 
fig- 3 - 
The Ranunculus Ffimmula grows plentifully with us in marfhy places, and efpecially in the wet, and more 
boggy parts of heaths and commons, where it flowers from June to September. 
The latter part of Linnyus’s defcription of this plant, does not accord with the appearance it ufually aflumes 
with us, caule adfccndente, which is the reverfe of declinato, is indeed more applicable to it, not but the plant fre- 
quently grows nearly upright, as the old authors have reprefented it, though not fo perfe£Hy upright as the 
Lingua. Mr. Hudson’s englifli name of procumbent, as it implies a greater approximation to the earth, is ftill 
more obje&ionable ; nor can much be faid in favour of Bauhin’s name of longifolius, which fome have 
adopted, as it gives an idea of a longer leaf than the plant has. The old Botanills called thefe two fpecies 
of Ranunculus Spear-Worts, from the fhape of their leaves, the great and leffer. Mr. Ray and Mr. Lightfoot 
adopted thofe names, and we fee no good reafon why they fhould be difcontinued. 
The 
