mcrassatis integerrimis p ancidentatisve, seapis brevibus 1 -floris, sepalis patentibus la te oblongis, petalis
flavis ob ovalo-oblongts in nngnem brevem angnslatis, glanclnla nectarifera parva orassa subsem.lnnari a
basi remota, carpellis stylo brevi uncinato. {G m n , 1 9 3 5 .)
I " a i * i c t s , elev. 4 0 0 0 fe et, .abnndant in w e t places, summit o f We stern Mountains
Artlmr s Lakes, e tc ., Lawren c e , G u n n .~ (E \. Jan.)
TMs is one o f the half-staiwed-looking alpine that can only he properly characterized after the inspcclion
o f very many specimens, for, like its alpine congeners in Em-opc, it probably assmncs many forms. The m ost
hany speennens resemble small states o f A. lappa,eus », bat the glabrous ones appear widely different. The styles
a i . n c ith « so long as m lappaceus, nor so short as in hirtus. The nectarial scidc, formbig a smaU scmibmate prominent
gland at some distance from the base o f the petal, seems the most tangible c h .r a c t c r .-A o « of thick fibres.
0 3 . » very thick Leuve, generally depressed, spreading or dccinvcd. H J inch lon g ; petiole glabrons. or very
dlous with spreading lian s; lamma always ncaidy or ivlioUy glabrous, entire and lobed. or cut, or thice-lobcd, or
Z o ? ? a T ' “ *’ ‘iP4 quite entire or . little lobed. .Scapes short, stout.
e cu n e . oweia solitarjq \ inch across. Sepah oblong, membranous, concave, glabrous. Petals
obovate-oblong, nan-owed into a short claw, yellow. Carpels with short cnivcd styles.
1 I ' f c u n e a t n s (H o ok . Journ. B o t. i. 2 4 2 ) ; acaulis v. caule decumbente orasso, pilosus
V. glabratus, fo lu s lo n g e e t crasse p e tiolatis ovalibus oblongis cnneato-oblongisve apioe 3 - 6 -fldis trilobisve
V. grosse dentatis scapis radicalibns elongatis v. in axillis f„ li„m m , ilon b n s parvis, petalis parvis, carpellis
panels, sty lo brevi. {Ounn, 2 2 8 .) r - P P . pmue
H a b . Alp in e swamps at Arthur’s Lake, and on th e Weste rn Moimtains, elev. 4 0 0 0 feet.— {FI. Jan.)
The original specimens e t this look very distinct from any other Tasmanian speeies ; bnt a second supply from
Ml. Gnnn presents many forms that are iutcrmediata between it and the last. Mr. Gunn also remarks that it
grows m swamps and is under water during a portion of the year, which may account for some o f its peenliarities
To me It resembles a Imvnnant state o f A. becoming ea,descent or proliférons, and bearing either scapes
or amllary peduncles, home flowers appear lo be apetalous. which is a farther sign of abnormal condition ; and its
whole history requires elucidation iu its native place. Tbe iiectarj is as in A. nanus.
b. Stems creeping orjlagelliferous.
8 . R a n u n c n lu B in u n d a t u s (Br. in DC. Syst. i. 2 6 9 ) ; glaberrimiis, debilis, oanle repente v. submerso
ad nodos radicante folia ramosqne emittente, foliis radicahbus lon g e petiolati., palmatim 5 -sectis lobis
a n ^ s t e cunea m trilobis v . varie se c tis lob u lis obtusis, oailKnis brevius petiolatis, floribus (parvis) longo
pediceDatis, p edic elbs radicahbus oppositifolnsvo, sep.abs obovato-rotundatis, petalis 5 stipitatis lamina lineari-
oblonga basi fovea nectarifera magna transverse elongata iiierassafa instrnotis, receptáculo piloso, carpellis
^ icco rugosis 6 - 8, sty lo e l o n g a t o .-Ü C P r o i r . i. 3 4 ; S a a k . .Journ. P o l. i. 2 4 2 ; Gray in P o t. o f W U k e f
Ex p lo r. Ex p ed . p . 3 9 6 , 7 7 4 .)
H a b . Fr esh and brackish swamps, abundant; sometimes g rowin g in deep wafer, on which the leaves
float, Gunn.— (PI. N o v . D e c .) [v. v .)
D i s t b i b . N ew South W a le s, and South-eastern Australia.
A slender marsh or water plant, everywhere quite g la b r o n s . - f f l « , creeping, a few inches to a yard long,
rooting a the joints, where they bear tufts o f leaves and scapes, and slender branched stems, which hare smaller
leaves aud one-flowered pedicels opposite to them. Petiole. 1 -4 inches long. * » /p a )m a t c I , iive-lobed. generally
membranous, cut into flve radiatmg narrow wedge-shaped leaflets, that are variously lobed and cut; sometimes the
leaves are mnlMd, with veiy slender Hncar lobes. Peduncles as long as the petioles, or shorter. Mowers a o f an
inch across in Tasmanian specimens. A according to A. Gray in some New Hofland ones. Sepals membranon’s verv
broad. five, naiTow. broadly didymous. CarpeZs somewhat wrinkled in the dry state, as described
in the Jom-nal o f B otany, sometimes smooth and tiu-gid, as described by Gray.
9 . Ranunculus glabrifolius (Hook. B o t. Journ. i . 2 4 3 ) ; glaberrimus v . parce pilosu s, caule surcu-
loso, foliis confertis radicalibus lon g e petiolatis palmatim 3 -5 -s e c t is , segmentis subcoriaceis an gu ste cuneatis
trifidis trilobis trisectisve, lob is in®qualiter trifidis, ramis (caulibusve floriferis) pe tiolis longior ibus simplicibus
divisisve, pedunculis glabris sericeisve, sepalis la te rotundatis, petalis 1 0 - 1 2 an gu ste obovato-oblongis
breviter stipitatis, glándula nectarifera incrassata interdum biloba, carpellis turgidis (sicco) costatis sty lo sub-
r ecto subulato terminatis.— XÓ0/6. Comp. B o t. M a g . i. 2 7 3 . {Gicnn, 1 5 7 .)
H a b . W e t places, Launceston, N ew N or folk, Formosa, and St. Patrick’s River, e tc ., Gunn, Backhouse.
Hobarton, J . B . I I .— (PI. Oct. N o v .)
A very distinct species, easily recognized by the nmnerous petals. In habit it more nearly resembles R . inundatus
than at first sight appears, the stem really consisting o f nmning surculi, which swell at the knots and give
off such large tufts of leaves that each appears like a solitary plant. The erect branches vary extremely in size,
from 1 inch to 1 foot high, and the petioles from 1 to 4 inches. Leaves proportionally variable in size, smooth or
glabrous, rather coriaceous, 1 - 2 inches broad, cut as in R.inundatus,\ix>!i into broader, fii-mer divisions. Branches
simple or divided. Plowei's golden-yellow, -|-3 inch across. Sepals veiy broad, more or less püose. Petals gra-
duaUy nan-owed into a short claw, above which is a thickened opaque nectarial gland, but no hollow or scale.
Carpels distinctly ribbed when di-y, but not wi-inkled as described in Comp. Bot. Mag., except from the shriveUing
of the coriaceous epicarp.— This species is very nearly allied to the New Zealand R . incisus, but in that plant the
nectary is distinctly excavated, as in R . inundatus.
1 0 . Ranunculus inconspicuus (H o ok . fil.)j pusillus, glaberrimus v. pe tiolis pedunculisque pilosis,
caule repente v . surculoso, foliis omuibus radicalibus lo n g e petiolatis trilobis tripartitisve, lob is cuneatis
3 -fidisj segmentis acutis, pedunculis foliis longior ibus erectis 1 - rarius 2-iloris, sepalis late ovatis subacutis,
petalis Hneari- v . obovato-spathulatis u n gu e brevi squamula nectarifera parva, staminibus paucis, acheniis
(maturis) tu rg id is, stylo uncinato subulato. {Gunn, 1 0 1 8 , 1 0 1 9 .) (T a b . I I . B .) .
H a b . Hampshire H ills , W este rn Mountains, and Mou n t W e llin g ton , elev. 3 - 4 0 0 0 feet, Gunn.
The habit o f this species is exactly that o f R . glabr'ifoliiis, the stem nmning underground in marshy places, and
giving off roots and a tuft of leaves, with a solitaiy, generally one-flowered scape. It differs in its smaUer size, in
the foi-m of the nectarial gland, and in the carpels not being ribbed. I have not so many specimens as are desirable,
and it is probably an exceedingly vai-iable little plant.— AooZs tufted, fibrous. Leaves erect; petioles slender, 1 -2
inches long, cmved, glabrous or püose. Segments 3, rarely more, £ - 4 of an inch long, cuneate, trifid. Peduncles
rarely two-flowered, glabrous or püose. Flower small, yellow. Petals linear-obovate or linear-oblong, -Kath a
short broad claw, and small scale or pit immediately above it. Carpels turgid, with a cuived subulate style.__
P l a t e II. .K. Fig. 1, flower; 2, sepal; 3, petal; 4, stamen; 5, ovaiy; 6 , ripe carpel; 7, vertical sectiou o f the
same; 8 , cinbiyo ;— a ll magnified.
§ 3. E c h in e l l a .— Carpel tubermdated.
1 1 . Ranunculus sessiliflorus (Br. in DC . Syst. i. 3 0 2 ) ; sericeo-pilosus v. subvillosus, caulibus
gracilibus e collo plurimis parcc divisis, foliis radicalibus lon g e petiolatis reniformi-rotundatis trilobis tr isec
tisve segmentis in teg ris trifidis v. tridentatis, floribus oppositifobis sessilibus v. rarius pedicellatis
minimis, ovariis pilosis, carpellis tuberculatis.
Var. floribus saltern iuferioribus pedicellatis. [Gunn, 2 3 0 .)
H a d . Abundant in rich and poor soil, at all elevations from tbe sea to 3 0 0 0 feet, varying m ucb.__
(PI. Sept. Oct.) {v. V.)
D i s t r i b . Common in extratropical Australia, and N ew Zealand.