primary division rather smaller than the others, and like them
directed upwards, so that together the three form a kind of
cup, as also do the branches of the secondary divisions; the
first internodes are not remarkably longer than their successors,
especially in the upper leaves. Petioles short; the upper
leaves sessile. Peduncles equally thick throughout, short.
Flowers small. Sepals ovate, blunt, concave, greenish with
purple spots and a diaphanous edge. Petals not touching
each other, wedge-shaped, white, but rather yellow at the
base, 5-7-veined, becoming about twice as long as the sepals.
Nectary only slightly prominent. Stamens 10-15. Style
prolonging the inner edge of the ovary, short; stigma oblong.
Carpels blunt, rather hairy at the end, which is slightly narrowed
and compressed. Receptacle nearly globose, thick.
Colour of the plant a lurid blackish green.
Perhaps no floating leaves of this plant have been seen in
Britain, although it is probable that they exist, for Mr. Syme
mentions that Mr. Borrer found them at Chichester. The
It. radians (Rev.), R. Godronii (Gren.), seems to be this species
when such leaves are present: they are tripartite with wedge-
shaped, short, deeply lobed segments.
There is much confusion about this Ranunculus, arising
from the difficulty of distinguishing it (in the Herbarium)
from that form of R. heterophyllus which wants the floating
leaves. R. heterophyllus has always very numerous (20 or
more) stamens, larger and broader petals; carpels rounded
and broad at the end, long peduncles narrowed just below
the flowers, and longer and less dense submerged leaves
which take the form of a painter’s pencil when removed from
the water.
Probably this is a generally distributed plant in England.
I possess it from the Isle of Wight, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire,
Warwickshire, and Worcestershire; and the specimens figured
were sent by our greatly lamented friend, Mr. Borrer, from
Eastbourne, Sussex, where he gathered it on July 5,1855.—
C. C. B. J