RANUNCULUS 
129 
The var. petiolaris is local in Scotland and Ireland on the shores of lochs, often on peaty moors ; north- 
wards at least to Inverness-shire and westwards to co. Mayo. 
Not definitely known outside the British Islands, but “should occur in Scandinavia” (Rev. E. S. Marshall 
in litt.) ; “ very probably occurs in Alpine lakes in Switzerland and Savoy (Professor Hugo Gluck in lift.). 
(, d) R. flammula var. reptans Rouy et Foucaud FI. France i, 83 (1893); R. reptans L. Sp. PI. 549(1753)!; 
Lightfoot FI. Scot, i, 289 (1 777) ; Wallroth Sched. Crit. 289 (1822) ; R. flammula var. 8 Smith FI. Brit. 586 (1800) ; 
R. flammida subsp. reptans Sy me Eng. Bot. i, 34 ( 1 863). 
leones : — Syme Eng. Bot. i, t. 30, as R. [flammula subsp.] reptans ; FI. Dan. t. 108, as R. reptans ; Reichenbach 
Icon. t. 10 ( Ranunc .), fig. 4945 / 3 , as R. flammula var. reptans. 
Camb. Brit. FI. iii. Plate 132. {a — d) Plants in flower, (e) Head of achenes (enlarged). (/) Achenes (four 
enlarged). Ulleswater (S. H. B.). 
Exsiccata : — Dickson, vi, 10; Don, 1 1 4 ; Fellman, 4; Fries, x, 27; Reichenbach, 1774; Herb. FI. Ingric. i, 16. 
Stem very slender, internodes arched, rooting and budding at the nodes. Petioles as long as 
or longer than the laminae. Laminae narrowly spathulate, small. Flowers variable in size. Achene 
with a rather definite beak. 
The var. reptans occurs on gravelly margins of lakes in Westmorland, Cumberland, Kinross-shire, and 
Aberdeenshire. 
Faeroes, Iceland, Scandinavia, Denmark, Germany, Holland, ? Belgium, France, central Europe (ascending to 
1300m.), Russia; North America. 
Locally common ; in marshes and fens and damp places generally, from the Channel Isles, 
Cornwall, and Kent northwards to Zetland ; throughout Ireland. 
Throughout Europe, ascending to 2180 m. in Switzerland; Asia; North America. 
4. RANUNCULUS OPHIOGLOSSIFOLIUS. Plate 133 
Ranunculus ophioglossifolius Villars Hist. PI. Dauph. iii, 731, t. 49 (1789) ; Babington in Eng. Bot. 
Suppl. no. 2833 (1830); Syme Eng. Bot. i, 32 (1863); H. Groves in Journ. Bot. 51 (1883); Rouy et Foucaud FI. 
France i, 83 (1893). 
leones: — Babington in Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2833; Ft. Dan. Suppl. iii, t. 147; Reichenbach Icon, iii, t. xxi, 
fig. 4613 (a small-flowered form). 
Camb. Brit. FI. iii. Plate 133. (a) Lower part and (b) upper part of plant, (c) Flowers. ( d ) Achenes (three 
enlarged). Gloucestershire (G. C. D.). 
Exsiccata: — Billot, 907; Bourgeau (PI. Divers.); (PI. d'Espagne); A. Schultz (FI. Istr.), 5; Todaro, 365. 
? Biennial or perennial. Shoot 1 — 3 dm. high, erect. Stem hollow, rooting at the 
lowest nodes. Lower stem-leaves with very long (up to 15 cm.) petioles; laminae 
suborbicular-oval to oval, truncate to subcordate at the base, margin subentire, apex 
more or less obtuse, about 3 cm. long. Upper stem-leaves sessile or nearly so ; 
laminae elliptical, cuneate at the base, subentire, rather obtuse. Pedicels about 
4 — 6 cm. long in fruit. Receptacle glabrous. Flowers more numerous than in 
R. flammula, about o‘5 — 1 -3 cm. in diameter; May and June. Sepals glabrous. 
Petals pale yellow, not or scarcely overlapping. Stamens small. Achenes in a globose 
head, compressed, with small tubercles and a few bristly hairs ; beak rudimentary. 
There appear to be two forms of this in Europe, a small-flowered and a large-flowered form. 
It is the latter which is reproduced in our Plate 133. The small-flowered form was drawn by 
Mr Hunnybun from Dorset; but we have not reproduced that drawing. Reichenbach’s figure and the 
one in Eng. Bot. Suppl. illustrate the small-flowered plant. 
Very rare ; in marshy places subject to floods in Jersey, Hampshire, Dorset, 
and Gloucestershire. 
Southern Sweden (Gothland), ? Denmark, France, southern Europe ; northern 
Africa ; south-western Asia. 
Map 51. Distribution 
of R. ophioglossi- 
folius in England 
Section III. EU-RANUNCULUS 
Eu-Ranunculus Grenier et Godron Ft. France i, 29 (1847) inch Echinella p. 41 ; Rouy et Foucaud FI. 
France i, 91 (1893) inch Ranuncidastrum p. 86 et Echinella p. iii. 
For characters, see page 125. 
17 
M. III. 
