6. R. Flammula, L. (SMALLER SPEARWORT.) Stem reclining or ascending, rooting below, leaves lanceolate or linear, or the lowest ovate-oblong to lanceolate, entire or nearly so, mostly petioled (1--2' long), petals 5--7, much longer than the calyx, bright yellow, _carpels small, flattish but turgid, mucronate with a short abrupt point_.--Only a small form (var. INTERMeDIUS) met with in this country (sh.o.r.e of L. Ontario, and northward), a span high, with flowers 3--5" in diameter, pa.s.sing into

Var. reptans, E. Meyer. (CREEPING S.) Small, slender, the _filiform creeping stems rooting at all the joints_; leaves linear, spatulate, or oblong (--1' long); flowers small.--Gravelly or sandy banks; Newf. to Penn., north and westward. June--Sept. (Eu.)

7. R. oblongiflius, Ell. Usually annual; stem erect or ascending, often p.u.b.escent below, slender (1--2 high), _diffusely branched above and many-flowered; leaves serrate or denticulate_, lower long-petioled, ovate or oblong (--1' long), uppermost linear; flowers 3--5" broad; _petals_ 5, bright yellow, 1--3" long; _carpels_ minute, almost _globular_, the small style deciduous.--Wet prairies, Ill., Mo., and in S. States. June.

8. R. pusillus, Poir. Stem ascending, weak, loosely branching (6--18'

long); _leaves entire_ or obscurely denticulate, the lowest round-ovate or heart-shaped (' long), long-petioled, the upper oblong or lanceolate (1--1' long); _flowers very small; petals 1--5, yellowish_; stamens 3--10; carpels very turgid, smooth or slightly papillose, tipped with a minute sessile stigma.--Wet places, S. New York, and southward along the coast. June--Aug.

[+][+][+] _Terrestrial, but often in wet places; leaves mostly cleft or divided._

[++] _Root-leaves not divided to the very base; achenes marginless._

9. R. affnis, R. Br. Somewhat hairy or glabrous; low or slender, 1 high or less; leaves pedately cleft, the cauline with linear or narrow oblanceolate divisions; petals light yellow, 3--4" long or smaller; _heads oblong; achenes turgid_, with small and mostly recurved style, p.u.b.escent or glabrous.--And var. VALIDUS, Gray, stouter and with more fleshy leaves, the lower mostly undivided and roundish, cordate, truncate or cuneate at base, coa.r.s.ely crenate or more or less cleft.--Minn., Iowa, north and westward.

10. R. rhomboideus, Goldie. Low (3--8' high), _hairy; root-leaves roundish or rhombic-ovate_, rarely subcordate, toothed or crenate; lowest stem-leaves similar or 3--5-lobed, the upper 3--5-parted, almost sessile, the lobes linear; _carpels_ orbicular _with a minute beak_, in a globose head; _petals large_, deep yellow.--Prairies, Mich. to N.

Ill., Minn., and northward. April, May.

11. R. abortvus, L. (SMALL-FLOWERED C.) Biennial, _glabrous_, branching, 6'--2 high; primary _root-leaves round heart-shaped or kidney-form_, barely crenate, the succeeding often 3-lobed or 3-parted; those of the stem and branches 3--5-parted or divided, subsessile, the divisions oblong or narrowly wedge-form, mostly toothed; head globose; _carpels mucronate, with a minute curved beak; petals pale yellow, shorter than the small reflexed calyx_.--Shady hillsides and along brooks, common. April--June.

Var. micranthus, Gray. _p.u.b.escent_, roots often fusiform-thickened; root-leaves seldom at all heart-shaped, some 3-parted or 3-divided; peduncles more slender and carpels fewer.--E. Ma.s.s. to Ill., Minn., and westward.

12. R. sceleratus, L. (CURSED C.) Annual, glabrous; _root-leaves 3-lobed_, rounded; lower stem-leaves 3-parted, the lobes obtusely cut and toothed, the uppermost almost sessile, with the lobes oblong-linear and nearly entire; _carpels barely mucronulate_, very numerous, _in oblong or cylindrical heads; petals scarcely exceeding the calyx_.--Wet ditches; appearing as if introduced. June--Aug.--Stem thick and hollow, 1 high; juice acrid and blistering; leaves thickish; flowers small, pale yellow. (Eu.)

[++][++] _Leaves variously cleft or divided; achenes in globular heads (except n. 17), compressed, with an evident firm margin; hirsute or p.u.b.escent._

[=] _Achenes with long recurved beak; root-leaves rarely divided._

13. R. recurvatus, Poir. (HOOKED C.) Hirsute, 1--2 high; leaves of the root and stem nearly alike, long-petioled, deeply 3-cleft, large; the lobes broadly wedge-shaped, 2--3-cleft, cut and toothed toward the apex; petals shorter than the reflexed calyx, pale.--Woods, common. May, June.

[=][=] _Style long and attenuate, stigmatose at the tip, persistent or the upper part usually deciduous; early root-leaves only 3-parted, the later 3--5-foliolate; petals bright yellow, much larger than the calyx (except n. 18)._

14. R. fascicularis, Muhl. (EARLY C.) Low, ascending, 5--9' high, p.u.b.escent with close-pressed silky hairs; _root a cl.u.s.ter of thickened fleshy fibres; radical leaves appearing pinnate_, the long-stalked terminal division remote from the sessile lateral ones, itself 3--5-divided or parted and 3--5-cleft, the lobes oblong or linear; petals often 6 or 7, spatulate-oblong, twice the length of the spreading calyx; _carpels scarcely margined_, tipped with a slender straight or rather curved beak.--Dry or moist hills. April, May.

15. R. septentrionalis, Poir. Low, hairy or nearly glabrous; _stems ascending, or in wet ground some of them proc.u.mbent or forming long runners_; leaves 3-divided, the divisions all stalked (or at least the terminal one), broadly wedge-shaped or ovate, unequally 3-cleft or parted and variously cut, never pinnately compound; petals obovate, much larger than the spreading calyx; _carpels strongly margined_, pointed by a stout straightish beak. (R. repens, of _Manual_, mainly.)--Moist or shady places, etc., May--Aug.--Extremely variable in size and foliage, commencing to flower by upright stems in spring before any long runners are formed.

[=][=][=] _Style subulate, stigmatose along the inner margin, mostly persistent._

16. R. repens, L. In habit and foliage closely similar to the last species; leaves frequently white-variegated or spotted; commencing to flower somewhat later.--In low grounds; generally in waste grounds near the coast and probably introduced from Europe, but indigenous westward.

17. R. Pennsylvanicus, L. f. (BRISTLY C.) Stout and erect from a usually annual root, hirsute with widely spreading bristly hairs, leafy to the top, 1--2 high; leaves all ternately divided or compound, the stalked leaflets unequally 3-cleft, sharply cut and toothed, acute; flowers inconspicuous; calyx reflexed; head of carpels oblong.--Wet places, common. June--Aug.

18. R. hspidus, Hook. (not Michx. or DC.). Resembling the last, but the ascending or reclining stems few-leaved, rarely if ever rooting, not always hirsute; petals (about 3" long) surpa.s.sing the hardly reflexed and soon deciduous calyx; achenes with a stout straight beak, in a globose or oval head.--On the northern sh.o.r.e of Lake Superior, and north and westward; probably in N. Minn.

R. BULBSUS, L. (BULBOUS C. or b.u.t.tERCUPS.) Hairy; _stem erect from a bulb-like base_, 1 high; radical leaves 3-divided; _the lateral divisions sessile, the terminal stalked_ and 3-parted, all wedge-shaped, cleft and toothed; peduncles furrowed; petals round, wedge shaped at base; calyx reflexed; carpels tipped with a very short beak.--Fields; very abundant only in E. New England; rare westward. May--July.--Leaves appearing as if pinnate. Petals often 6 or 7, deep glossy yellow, the corolla more than an inch broad. (Nat. from Eu.)

R. aCRIS, L. (TALL C. or b.u.t.tERCUPS.) Hairy; stem erect (2--3 high); leaves 3-divided; _the divisions all sessile_ and 3-cleft or parted, their segments cut into lanceolate or linear crowded lobes; peduncles not furrowed; petals obovate, much longer than the spreading calyx.--Fields; common, especially eastward. June--Aug.--Flower nearly as large as the last, but not so deep yellow.--The _b.u.t.tercups_ are avoided by cattle, on account of their very acrid or even blistering juice, which property, however, is dissipated in drying when these plants are cut with hay. (Nat. from Eu.)

[*][*] _Achenes beset with rough points or small p.r.i.c.kles; annuals._

R. MURICaTUS, L. Nearly glabrous; lower leaves roundish or reniform, 3-lobed, coa.r.s.ely crenate; the upper 3-cleft, wedge-form at the base; _petals longer than the calyx; carpels flat, spiny-tuberculate_ on the sides, strongly beaked, surrounded with a wide and sharp smooth margin.--Eastern Virginia and southward. (Nat. from Eu.)

R. PARVIFLRUS, L. Hairy, slender and diffuse; lower leaves roundish-cordate, 3-cleft, coa.r.s.ely toothed or cut; the upper 3--5-parted; _petals not longer than the calyx; carpels minutely hispid and rough_, beaked, narrowly margined.--Norfolk, Va., and southward.

(Nat. from Eu.)

10. ISOP?RUM, L.

Sepals 5, petal-like, deciduous. Petals 5, minute, wanting in the American species. Stamens 10--40. Pistils 3--6 or more, pointed with the styles. Pods ovate or oblong, 2--several-seeded.--Slender smooth perennial herbs, with 2--3-ternately compound leaves; the leaflets 2--3-lobed. Flowers axillary and terminal, white. (From ?s?p????, the ancient name of a Fumaria.)

1. I. biternatum, Torr. & Gray. Petals none; filaments white, club-shaped; pistils 3--6 (commonly 4), divaricate in fruit, 2--3-seeded; seeds smooth.--Moist shady places, Ohio to Minn. and southward. May.--Fibres of the root thickened here and there into little tubers. Aspect and size of the plant much as in Anemonella.

11. CaLTHA, L. MARSH MARIGOLD.

Sepals 5--9, petal-like. Petals none. Pistils 5--10, with scarcely any styles. Pods (follicles) compressed, spreading, many-seeded.--Glabrous perennials, with round and heart-shaped or kidney-form, large, undivided leaves. (An ancient Latin name for the common Marigold.)

1. C. pal.u.s.tris, L. Stem hollow, furrowed; leaves round or kidney-shaped, either crenate or dentate or nearly entire; sepals broadly oval (bright yellow).--Swamps and wet meadows, common northward.

April, May.--Often called incorrectly _Cowslips_; used as a pot-herb in spring, when coming into flower. C. FLABELLIFOLIA, Pursh, is a weak slender form, with open-reniform leaves and smaller flowers (1' broad or less), occurring in cold mountain springs, N. Y. to Md. (Eu.)

12. TRoLLIUS, L. GLOBE-FLOWER.

Sepals 5--15, petal-like. Petals numerous, small, 1-lipped, the concavity near the base. Stamens and pistils numerous. Pods 9 or more, sessile, many-seeded.--Smooth perennials with palmately parted and cut leaves, like Ranunculus, and large solitary terminal flowers. (Name thought to be derived from the old German word _troll_, a globe, or something round.)

1. T. laxus, Salisb. (SPREADING GLOBE-FLOWER.) Leaves 5--7-parted; sepals 5--6, spreading; petals 15--25, inconspicuous, much shorter than the stamens.--Deep swamps, N. H. to Del. and Mich. May.--Flowers twice the size of the common b.u.t.tercup; the sepals spreading, so that the name is not appropriate, as it is to the _European Globe-flower_ of the gardens, nor is the blossom showy, being pale greenish-yellow, or nearly white.

13. CoPTIS, Salisb. GOLDTHREAD.

Sepals 5--7, petal-like, deciduous. Petals 5--7, small, club-shaped, hollow at the apex. Stamens 15--25. Pistils 3--7, on slender stalks.

Pods divergent, membranaceous, pointed with the style, 4--8-seeded.--Low smooth perennials, with ternately divided root-leaves, and small white flowers on scapes. (Name from ??pt?, _to cut_, alluding to the divided leaves.)

1. C. triflia, Salisb. (THREE-LEAVED GOLDTHREAD.) Leaflets 3, obovate-wedge-form, sharply toothed, obscurely 3-lobed, scape 1-flowered.--Bogs, abundant northward, extending south to Maryland along the mountains, and west to Iowa. May.--Root of long, bright yellow, bitter fibres. Leaves evergreen, shining. Scape naked, slender, 3--5'

high. (Eu.)

14. h.e.l.leBORUS, Tourn. h.e.l.lEBORE.

Sepals 5, petal-like or greenish, persistent. Petals 8--10, very small, tubular, 2-lipped. Pistils 3--10, sessile, forming coriaceous many-seeded pods.--Perennial herbs, with ample palmate or pedate leaves, and large, solitary, nodding, early vernal flowers. (An ancient name of unknown meaning.)

H. ViRIDIS, L. (GREEN h.e.l.lEBORE.) Root-leaves glabrous, pedate; calyx spreading, greenish.--Has been found wild on Long Island, in Penn., and W. Va. (Adv. from Eu.)

15. ERaNTHIS, Salisb. WINTER ACONITE.

Sepals 5--8, petal-like, deciduous. Petals small 2-lipped nectaries.

Carpels few, stipitate, several-seeded.--Perennial herbs, with palmately multifid radical leaves, the scape bearing a single large yellow flower surrounded by an involucre of a single leaf. (Name from ??, _spring_, and ?????, _flower_.)