The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States. Asa Gray
collapsing when withdrawn from the water. (R. divaricatus, Man., not Schrank.)—Ponds and slow streams, Maine and Vt., to Iowa, north and westward, much rarer than the next. June–Aug. (Eu.)
2. R. aquátilis, L., var. trichophýllus, Gray. (Common White Water-Crowfoot.) Leaves all under water and mostly petioled, their capillary divisions and subdivisions rather long and soft, usually collapsing more or less when withdrawn from the water; petiole rather narrowly dilated.—Common, especially in slow-flowing waters, the eastern form with more soft and flaccid leaves. June–Aug. (Eu.)
Var. cæspitòsus, DC. A dwarf terrestrial form, rooting at the nodes, the small leaves somewhat fleshy, with broader rigid divisions.—S. Ill. (Schneck), and westward.
[*][*] Receptacle glabrous; no submersed leaves.
R. hederàceus, L. Rooting freely in shallow water; leaves all reniform, angulate-lobed.—Fresh-water marshes at Norfolk, Va. (Nat. from Eu.)
§ 2. HALÒDES. Petals yellow, with nectariferous pit and scale; carpels thin-walled, striate, in an oblong head; scapose, spreading by runners.
3. R. Cymbalària, Pursh. (Sea-side Crowfoot.) Glabrous; scapes 1–6´ high, 1–7-flowered; leaves clustered at the root and on the joints of the long rooting runners, roundish-heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, crenate, rather fleshy, long-petioled; petals 5–8.—Sandy shores, from New Jersey northward, and along the Great Lakes to Ill., Kan. and westward; also at salt springs. June–Aug.
§ 3. RANUNCULUS proper. Petals with a little scale at the base, yellow; achenes nerveless.
[*] Achenes smooth; mostly perennial.
[+] Aquatic; immersed leaves filiformly dissected, as in § Batrachium.
4. R. multífidus, Pursh. (Yellow Water-Crowfoot.) Stems floating or immersed, with the leaves all repeatedly 3-forked into long filiform divisions, or sometimes creeping in the mud (perennial by rooting from the nodes, if at all); emersed leaves with shorter and linear or wedge-shaped divisions, or else kidney-shaped and sparingly lobed or toothed; petals 5–8, deep bright yellow, 4–6´´ long, much larger than the calyx; carpels in a round head, pointed with a straight beak.—E. New Eng. to S. Penn., Mo., and northward. May–July.—Out of water it is often pubescent, especially in
Var. terréstris, Gray. Stem rooting in the mud or ascending from the base; leaves all smaller, coarsely dissected, round-reniform in outline; flowers and fruit twice or thrice smaller.—N. Ohio to N. Ill., Minn., and westward.
[+][+] Terrestrial but growinq in very wet places, glabrous or nearly so; leaves entire or barely toothed, all or else all but the lowest lanceolate or linear; carpels forming a globular head. (Spearwort.)
5. R. ámbigens, Watson. (Water Plantain Spearwort.) Stems ascending (1–2° high), often rooting from the lower joints; leaves lanceolate or the lowest oblong, mostly denticulate (3–5´ long), contracted into a margined half-clasping petiole; petals 5–7, bright yellow, oblong (2–3´´ long); carpels flattened, large (1´´ long), pointed with a long narrow-subulate beak. (R. alismæfolius, Man., not Gey.)—N. Eng. to Ont., Minn. and southward; common, especially at the north. June–Aug.
6. R. Flámmula, 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. intermèdius) met with in this country (shore of L. Ontario, and northward), a span high, with flowers 3–5´´ in diameter, passing into
Var. réptans, E. Meyer. (Creeping S.) Small, slender, the filiform creeping stems rooting at all the joints; leaves linear, spatulate, or oblong (¼–1´ long); flowers small.—Gravelly or sandy banks; Newf. to Penn., north and westward. June–Sept. (Eu.)
7. R. oblongifòlius, Ell. Usually annual; stem erect or ascending, often pubescent below, slender (1–2° high), diffusely branched above and many-flowered; leaves serrate or denticulate, lower long-petioled, ovate or oblong (½–1½´ 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. pusíllus, Poir. Stem ascending, weak, loosely branching (6–18´ long); leaves entire or obscurely denticulate, the lowest round-ovate or heart-shaped (½´ long), long-petioled, the upper oblong or lanceolate (1–1½´ 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. affìnis, 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, pubescent or glabrous.—And var. validus, Gray, stouter and with more fleshy leaves, the lower mostly undivided and roundish, cordate, truncate or cuneate at base, coarsely crenate or more or less cleft.—Minn., Iowa, north and westward.
10. R. rhomboídeus, 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. abortìvus, 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. micránthus, Gray. Pubescent, roots often fusiform-thickened; root-leaves seldom at all heart-shaped, some 3-parted or 3-divided; peduncles more slender and carpels fewer.—E. Mass. to Ill., Minn., and westward.
12. R. sceleràtus, 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 pubescent.
[=] Achenes with long recurved beak; root-leaves rarely divided.
13. R. recurvàtus, 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