12

RANUNCULACEiE.

[. Ranunculus.

sent it to me from Long Island , and Dr. Boott from near Salem, Massachussots, which is perhaps its farthestlimit south. Amman ’s figures, from Siberian specimens, are admirably characteristic of our plant, whichscarcely varies but in its greater or less size, and in the greater or lesser number of teeth to each leaf. Buthis and Gmelin’s synonym arc quoted by Smith, in liees’ Cyclopaedia, under It. salsuginosus ; and, certainly,according to Jacquin’s figure of salsuginosus, in Hurt. Vindob. v. 3. t. 31, (sub. nom. It. ruthenici,') it is veryclosely allied to our Cymbalaria. His whole plant is indeed larger, the leaves 3 or 5 toothed at the ex-tremity, and the heads of capsules are globose. The general habit is similar in both; the flowers are alike instructure; the carpels are in both distinctly marked with longitudinal elevated lines. The blossoms of oursare about one-third of an inch in diameter. Pursli cannot, therefore, be deemed correct when he says thatthose of salsuginosus of Pallas in Herb. Lamb. “ are ten times as largo.”

Again, the more alpine state of our plant, such as it is found by Mr. Drummond upon the Rocky Moun­ tains , (that is, smaller, with rarely more than 3 largo teeth at the extremity of the oblong leaves, and withnever more than 1 flower upon the scape,) approaches so near to the 11. halophilus of Schlcchtendal fromSiberia , that 1 can hardly persuade myself that the two plants are distinct. The latter differs, as it appearsto me, only in the more cuncate form of the foliage, for as to the teeth, they vary from 3 to 5, which numbersare frequent upon the smaller leaves of the larger variety. Our plant, too, has much affinity with It. tri-dmtalus and nubigenus of Humboldt ; and these, with It. Jiagclliformis of Smith, in Rees’ Cyclopiedia, seemto form a small and very distinctly marked family. Smith justly compares the runners to tlioso of thegarden strawberry.

5. 11. rhomboideus; pubescenti-hirsuta, foliis radicalibus rhomboideis integris serratis,caulinis palmatis, floralibus profunde laciniatis, calyce patente piloso.— Goldie in Edin.Phil. Journ. v. 6. p. 329. t. 11. f 1. Rich, in Ercmkl. 1st Journ. ed. 2. App. p. 23.—li.ovalifolius. Pursh, in Herb. Lamb, (fide Richardson.)

IIah. Lake Simcoe, Upper Canada . Goldie. In the central limestone and prairie districts, from Canada to lat. 57°. Common in the western parts of Canada . Dr. llichardson. —This species seems to bo veryconstant to its character, nor have I found the slightest varieties in any of the root-leaves. The heads offructifications are rounded. Carpels roundish, slightly com pressed, glabrous, and smooth, with an extremelyshort and very imperfect, more or less curved style or mucro.

6. 11 . glaberrimus; foliis omnibus petiolatis, radicalibus subrotundis integerriuiis velgrosse tridentatis, caulinis subcuneatis trifidis, calyce patente petalis dimidio breviore,fructibus globosis. (Tab. V. A.)

Radix fasciculato-fibrosa. Tota planta hirsutie destituta. Caulis erectus, subspithamams, snperne uni-bi-tritlorus. Folia omnia (nisi supermini quod subsessilc,) petiolata, subsuccnlenta: radicalia subrotunda, In-tegra, atquo omnino integerrima vel apice dentibus tribus grossis obtusis: caulina cuneata, fere ad mediumtrifidum: se.gm.mtis lanceolatis, obtusis, integris. Fednnculus et calyx etiam glaberrimi. Sepala ovalia, con-cava, patentia, non retlexa, corolla duplo breviora. Pctala 5, ovalia, iiava. Fructus, vix maturus, globosus.

IIau. Common on the mountains around the Kettle Falls, and on the Rocky Mountains , near the limitsof perpetual snow. Douglas. —This differs from all its congeners by its entirely glabrous stem, leaves, andcalyx, by its entire or only 3 toothed, rounded, radical loaves, and by the petiolated, never more than trifid,cauline ones. The whole plant has a succulent .appearance, and turns almost black in drying. I have seenit in no collection but that of the indefatigable Douglas.

7. 11. qfjinis ; foliis radicalibus (plerumque) pedato-multifidis petiolatis, caulinis subses-silibus digitatis; lobis omnium linearibus, caule erecto 1-2 (multi) floro cum calycibusovariisque (an semper ?) pubescentibus, fructibus oblongo-cylindraceis, acheniis rostro re-curvo. Br. (Tab. VI. A.)