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R A N U N C U L U S fceleratus.
Celery-leaved Crowfoot.
P O L Y A N D R I A Polygynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. 5-leaved. Petals 5, with a honeybearing
pore on the infide of the claw of each.
Seeds naked.
Spec. Char. Lower leaves palmate; uppermoft1 fingered.
Fruit oblong.
Syn. Ranunculus fceleratus. Linn. Sp. Pi. 776. Sm.
FI-. Brit. 590. Hudf. 241. With. 505. Hull.
121. Relh. 212. Sibth. 173. Abbot. 121. Curt.
Bond. fafc. 2. t. 42.
R. paluftris. Rati Syn. 249.
C o m m o n in watery places, where it may be found iri
flower and feed from June to the end of Auguft, few plants
propagating their fpecies more copioufly.
Root annual, fibrous. Herb various in fize and luxuriance,
of a pale Aiming green colour, juicy, and very fmooth, except
the flower-ftalks and upper part of the Item,' which are occa-
fionally hairy. Stem round, hollow, thick, branched, leafy.
Lower leaves on long foot-ftalks, lobed and cut, but lefs deeply
than the upper ones, which are divided to the very bafe, and
felfile, their fegments linear and entire. Flowers numerous,
fmall, of a palifh yellow. Calyx deflexed, fhaggy. Honey-
pore fomewhat tubular. Fruit cylindrical, obtufe, fliort, com-
pofed of a multitude of fmall feeds.
One of the moft virulent of all our native plants. If bruifed
and applied to the Ik in it foon raifes a blifter, and makes a fore
by no means eafy to heal. Strolling beggars have been faid to
ufe it for that purpofe in order to excite compaflion. A more
innocent way of railing money than many pradtifed, on a
larger fcale, by their fuperiors, inafmuch as the encouragement
of public virtues (however mifapplied) is furely better than
that of public vices.
A v