452 RANUNCULACEAE. [ Ranunculus. 
1-6in. long; blade }-1}in. diam., cvate semicircular or reniform in 
outline, usually 3-7-partite to the base ; segments varying from cuneate to 
narrow-linear, more or less deeply cut at the apex, sometimes to the middle, 
occasionally ternatisect, rarely entire. Peduncles usually longer than the 
leaves. Flowers yellow, }-?in. diam. Sepals 5, spreading. Petals 5-10, 
linear-oblong, usually longer than the sepals; gland some distance « bove 
the base. Achenes turgid, glabrous, sometimes rugose from the shrivel- 
ling of the epicarp; style rather long, subulate, straight or recurved.— 
A. Cunn. Precur. (1838) n. 680; Raoul Choix (1846) 47; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. 
Zel. i (1853) 11; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 8; T. Kirk Students’ Fl. (1899) 
18; Oheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 25. 
Var. major Benth. Fl. Austral. i (1863) 14.—Suberect, 3-l2in. high. Leaves 
tufted ; segments often very narrow and much cut.—R. incisus Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 
i (1853) 10, t. 4. R. amphitricha Colenso in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii (1885) 237. 
Var. subfiuitans Benth. 1.c.—Creeping or partially floating. Leaves smaller, less 
divided. Flowers and achenes smaller.—R. inundatus R.-Br. ex DC. Syst. i (1818) 269 ; 
Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. i (1860) 8. 
Var. ineonspicuus Benth. I.c. — Smaller, more slender, suberect. Leaf-segments 
3-fid. Flowezs smaller.—R. inconspicuus Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. i (1860) 8, t. 2B. 
cnet Vee Cooke « sd Sb AAS. iG 25. 
ORTH, SOUTH, STEWART, AND CHATHAM ISLANDS: Common In Wet swamps, 
Jakes, and rivers throughout, ascending to 3000 it. October to March. Also 
plentiful in Australia and Tasmania. 
A most abundant little plant, exceedingly variable in most of its characters, and 
particularly so in the extent to which the leaves are divided, and the width or narrow- 
ness of the ultimate segments. Stockowners consider it to be highly poisonous, and 
attribute to it many deaths occurring among cattle feeding in swamps in dry summers. 
38. R. aeaulis Banks and Sol. exw DC. Syst. i (1818) 270.—Small, dark- 
ereen, fleshy, perfectly glabrous, sending out creeping stolons and often 
forming broad matted patches. Leaves all radical, on slender petioles 
1-3 in. long; blade 4-2in. diam., trifoliolate or deeply 3-lobed ; leaflets 
or segments sessile, obovate or oblong, obtuse, entire or 2-3-lobed. Scapes 
shorter than the leaves, naked, 1-flowered. Flowers small, $-$in. diam. 
Sepals 5, roundish-ovate, membranous.. Petals 5-8, spathulate, with a 
single gland near the middle. Achenes forming a small rounded head 
din. diam., turgid, glabrous; style short, subulate, straight or nearly 
so.—A. Cunn. Precur. (1838) n. 631; Raoul Choix (1846) 47; Hook. f. 
Fl. Antarct. i (1844) 4, t. 2; Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 11; Handb. N.Z. Hi. 
(1864) 8; A. Gray Bot. U.S. Expl. Huped. (1854) 7; T. Kirk Students’ 
Fl. (1899) 18. R. stenopetalus Hook. fc. Plant. (1844) t. 677. -— 7aA.22% 
Nortu, Sourn, anp Svewart Istanps: Sandy beaches and muddy shores, not 
uncommon. AucKLAND Is~anps: Hooker, &e. CHoatHam Istanos: Buchanan. 
Only known inland on the shores of Lakes Rotorua, Tarawera, and Taupo. Sep- 
tem ber—November. Also found in southern Chile. 
A distinct little species, easily recognized by its creeping and matted habit, 
trifoliolate leaves with nearly entire leaflets, short scapes, and spathulate petals. 
Mr. Colenso’s herbarium contains no specimens of his R&R. uniflorus (Trans. N.Z. Inst. 
xxxi (1896) 267). The description agrees with R. acaulis in most points, but the 
plant is said not to be stoloniferous, and to possess a sheathing bract on the upper 
part of the scape. 
39. R. biternatus Smith in Rees Cyclop. xxix (1802) n. 48.—Smooth, 
glabrous, succulent, stems creeping and rooting at the nodes. Leaves on 
petioles 1-4in. long; blade cordate-reniform in outline, 4-lin. diam. or 
more, 3-lobed or 3-partite ; segments variable in shape, broad or narrow, 
