G
H a b . W e ste rn Mountains, aud Hampshire H ills , e lev. 4 0 0 0 fe e t, Gunn.— (EL D e c . Jau.)
D i s t r i b . Mou n t Bulle r , Sou th Australia, D r . M u lle r.
Whole plant more or less haiiy or silk y .-i? o o ¿ of thick, fleshy fibres. Leaves all radical, with stout petioles
2 - 4 inches lo n g ; lamina broadly deltoid, tripinnatifldly cut into many naiTow fleshy lineai- segments. Scape very
stout, erect, 1 -7 inches long, usually veiy silky above. Flower 1.^ inch across. Sepals membranous, linear-
obioug obtuse, one-tbird shorter than the petals. PetaU five or six, Hnear-oblong, romul at the end, which is
rather dilated, each m th many paraUel neiwes, of which the thi-ee principal expand below the middle into naked
opaque glands.— The most remarkable o f the Tasmanian species, and quite unlike any other. The cai-pels are
rather fleshy, the seed covered with a loose hyaline reticulated testa, and the ffihumeu is fonned o f large loose incoherent
grains.
8 . Ranunculus hirtus (Banks e t Sol. DC . Syst. i. 2 S 9 ) ; patentim p ilosu s v. villosns, snbscapi-
g em s , folus radicalibns plorimis lon g e petiolatis toisectis v. pinnatisec tis (jumoribus 3 -lob is), segmeiitis
sessibbns petiolatisve late obovatis obovato-cnneatisve grosse dentatis 8 -lobisve, scapis (canlibnsve) siepins
(livisis suberectis patentira pilosis, pedunculis sulcatis, sepalis concavis p lu s minusve villosis, pctaKs late
obovato-spathulatis, carpellis compressis, sty lo breviuseule u n c inato.— D C . P r o d r . i. 3 9 ; M . N o v . Ze l. i. 9.
R. pimpinellifolius, K o o k . D o t. Journ. i. 2 4 3 , ii. 4 0 1 , Ic . P la n t, t. 2 6 0 . {Gunn, 9 0 .)
Var. v e sM m ; depressus, foliis patentim viUosis hirsutisve e coUo radiantibus. {Gunn, 6 3 5 .)
H a b . Moist p la c e s: Formosa; Blackman’s River, near R o s s ; Marlborough, e tc., elev. 2 - 4 0 0 0 feet.
Var. /3. In alpine marshes. Gunn.— (F i. Oc t. N o v .)
D i s t r i b . N ew Zealand.
Root of thick fleshy fibres. lea v e s many, chiefly radical, erect in favourable situations, spreading in alpine ones
and, as weU as the steins and petioles, covered more or less ivith shaggy spreading hairs; petioles 1 - 4 inches long
lamma broadly ovate or oblong, pinnately three-lobed, or pinnatisect with two to four pairs of pinnules, pinnule^
petiolulate, broadly obovate-cuneate, trifid or coarsely toothed. Peduncles one-flowered scapes, rarely rising from a
branched stem, very viUous or silky above. Flowers smaU, primrose-yellow, ^ inch across. Sepals oblong, blunt,
hairy, in th membranous margins. Pe tals broadly obovate-oblong, ivitb a small tlnckened gland close to the very
base. Receptacle o f the caqiels püose. Carpels broad, obliquely orbicular, compressed, ivith a sliort hooked style
- I have no hesitation in referring this to the New Zealand R . U rtus, which is a very common and variable plant
The roots, when growing in a drier soü, in New Zealand, have more slender branched fibres, and the leaves are
sometimes bitemately cut.
4. Rauuuculus lappaceus (8m. in Bees’ C y e l.); appresse sericeo-pilosus v. patentim pilosus, caiile
(plerumque) ramoso, foliis radicabbus lo n g e petiolatis trilobis pinnatifldis pinnatisectis v. bipinnatisectis
lob is pin n isr e latis angustisve varie inciso-lobatis, caulinis varie sec tis, peduneuKs dense sericeis floribus
aiiiplis aureis, sepalis püosis patentibns reflexisve, petalis late obovatis obtusis r etusisve, squama nectarifera
hbera basilan, receptáculo et acheniis u t in E . U r to , sed stylis longioribus— ÜC. S y d . i. 2 8 7 , P roA-. i. 3 9 ;
Hook. B o t. J o u n . i. 2 4 3 . E . colonorum, B n il. P la n t. H ü y e l. [Gunn, 9 0 e t 6 3 3 .)
lA r . a ; patentim viEosas, foliis pinnatisec tis lob is angustis.— Ad Pt.p leb eium , Br ., approximat.
Var. C- la tilo b u s j caule petiolisque patentim pilosis, foliis peduuculisque appresse pilosis, foliis tri-
sectis trilobisque, lobis latis.
Tar. 7 . p a s cu in u s ; to tn s appresse sericeo-pflosus, foKis pinnatisectis, lobis pinnatifldis incisisqne
angustis. {Gunn, 6 3 4 .)
Var. S. um fio rm ; minor, appresse sericeo-pilosus, foliis trilobis ternati- v. pinnatisectis, lobis parvis
angustis, scapis solitariis plurimisve unifloris.— E . collin n s, B r . in B C . S y s t. i. 2 7 1 ? [Gunn, 6 3 4 .)
H a b . Throughout the C olony, in various situations, abnndant, representing the E n g lisli Butter cnp.__
(E l. almost all the year.) Var. S. Hampshire H ills ; Marlborough, elev. 3 0 0 0 feet, and Arthur’s Lakes,
4 0 0 0 fe e t; near Launce ston, elev. 2 0 0 0 feet.
D i s t m b . Extratropical N ew Holland, N ew Zealand, and the Cape o t Go od Hope .
I vaiiüy eiideavom-ed, when in Tasmania, to detect specific cliaractcrs amongst the many forms o f this protean
plant gi-owing aronnd Hobarton and in the interior; I have again and again exammed Mr. Gunn’s notes aud splendid
sm cs ol specimens from .11 parts ot the Island, and I have compared all these with AnstraUan ones from mauy
eoUectcrs gathered on the east, west, and sonth coasts, and interior, and I have hi none ot these oeeasious ever
succeeded m obtaimug an approach to a specific character amongst them; and ns I find many of its northern coii-
gcucrs, and especially its ve iy near ally the R a c ri, of Eiuope. to be just as variable in statm-e, habit, aud pnbes-
ceuce, I have united them all, at the same time retaining names for the varieties which those who take different
views of specific chamcters may adopt. There is a certain habit that characterizes all the varieties, and disthiguishes
them from all states of A. h ir lu ,, bnt the value of such a cbaracter is very problematical: the longer styles, larger
golden flowers, and less equaUy pinnatisect leaves, and broad flat iiectarinl scales, .are better marks. I am verv
doubthd about refemng the New Zealand R p l e i d . , to the Tasmanian plant, for it has ve iy sniaU flowers and head,
ot carpels, aud the latter have veiy short sty le s; I find however New Hoflaiid specimens identical with the New
Zealand, and others wlueh appear to unite both these foniis. The whole subject is full of dillieidties; aud opinions
formed ou a few specimens, or oven ou many specimens from few localities, of such wide-spread common plants, are
worthless. Mr. Gunn considers var. S specifically distinct; bnt it bas no ebaiaeter but stature and seapiveious
habit, winch are both common to alpine forms of European speeies. How far R ocapigeru, is really d istinct remains
to be proved.
5 . R a n u n c u lu s s c a p i g e r u s (Hook. Journ. B o t. i. 2 4 4 ) ; appresse (rarius patentim) sericeo-pilosus,
folus fere omnibus radicalibns late ovatis trilobis v. ternatisectis rarius pinnatisectis lobis late obovato-
cuneatis tn fld is v. trilobis lobis trifidis v. grosse dentatis, scapis unifloris elongatis rarius 2 - 3 -floris et folii-
le n s pflosis, fionbns parvis, pednncnlis sulcatis, petalis parvis liiieari-obovato-oblongis, squamula nectarifera
a basi remota.— ZSmi. Comp. B o t. M a g . 2 7 0 . [Gunn, 2 9 9 .)
Var. B . concmnua; minor, pedunculis petiolis aiquiloiigis brevioribusve, sty lis brevioribus. [Gunn, 1 9 3 4 .)
Y a r . y . d e c u r vm ; parvuliis, foliis e radico plurimis patentibus decurvis, pedúnculo foliis breviore
sericeo, flore mínimo.— ff iís » . (T a b . I I . A .)
H a b . Generally n i alpine situations, preferring a Immid atmosphere and lic li soil, ascendino- to 40Ü0
foot, a * » . IVestern Mou n tain s; Qrass-tree IIill, Hobartou. Var. /3. A lp in e situations, Artlmr’s Lakes
and Western Monntams, Gunn. Var. y . S t. Patrick’s E iver, elev. 2 0 0 0 f e e t . - ( H . N o v . to Jan.) [v. o.)
The small flowers, petals wdtli small claws, aud the iieetarlal scale hemg remote from their base, are the o.ilv
tangible eharacters whereby to distiuguish ordinary slates ot this from R lappaceus, but Mr, Gimu has sent from
St. Patrick’s Eiver two flue specimens o f a plant that bears the foliage of the present, and the larre flowers of
R Uppaoem; as however it is caiilesceiil, I refer it to the latter. lo its eoimnou state (by which. I need hardlv
add, I mean that stale ot which I have most specimens) R scopiger» has many radical spreading leaves, that hea'r
hree cmieate leaflets, a long one-flowered scape, and small flowers i-m inch across; the eaipels are identical with
those o f R. tappaeeus. In some specimens the scopes divide, aud bear two or more flowers ■ in var » they are verv
short, the leaves are at times pmnatiseet, and the carpels have shorter styles, whence the whole plant resembles
more R. lurtu, f¡ oeddus, of which it may possibly lie a form. The var. y is eridentlv a starved but ciufous alpiue
form. The purple eolonr of the hack ot the petals appeals to be quite aeeidenlal, and is seen in several o f the
varieties ot R . k p p acm .— Píate II. A . Var. y. Fig. 1, flower; 2, sepal; 3, 4, petals; 6, stamen; 6 ovaries ■ 7
ovaries removed; 8, the some further advanced; 9. section of m iinaliue seed :— aU magnijied. ' ’ '
6 . Ranunculus nanus (Hook. Journ. B ot. i. 2 4 3 ) ; piisillus, foliis omnibus radicalibns, petiolis
poteiitmi pilosis glabratisve, lamina triJda trisecla v. pinnatisecta, lobis angnste cuneatis laiiceolatisve apicc