Ranunculus.] i. ranunculace^e (oliver). 11 



Nile Land. Abyssinian mountains, at a great elevation, Galinier, Schimper. 



7. R. distrias, Steud. ; Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 7. A diffuse annual herb, 

 with a fibrous root and numerous spreading or ascending, leafy, glabrous or 

 loosely pilose stems. Leaves all or nearly all petiolate ; segments with 

 3 or more incised, unequal, rather acute teeth, glabrous or with few scattered 

 hairs. Flowers small. Petals oblanceolate. Achenes usually 8-15, com- 

 pressed, with a very short beak, the sides tubercled or smooth. 



Var. a. Carpels smooth (R. distrias, Steud.). 



Var b. Carpels tuberculate (R. runeilobus, Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 7. t. 3.) 



Wile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper ! and Dillon (Rich.). 

 any related to R. parviflorus, Liun., of which species it may be a marked variety. 



4. DELPHINIUM, Linn. ; Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 9. 



Flowers irregular. Sepals 5, petaloid, posterior one prolonged into a spur 

 behind. Petals 2 or 4 (2 posterior, each prolonged into a spur within the 

 spur of the posterior sepal ; 2 lateral, when present, ecalcarate). Stamens in- 

 definite. Carpels 1-7 (3 in the Tropical African species), sessile, free, multi- 

 ovulate, follicular when ripe. — Erect, annual or perennial herbs, with alter- 

 nate, palmately-lobed or -dissected leaves, and showy racemose or panicled, 

 blue purple red white or rarely yellow flowers. 

 A considerable genus, confined to the north temperate zone ; some species affecting moun- 

 »ous others dry and hot situations. The only tropical African species extends to the moun- 

 181118 of the Dekhan in India. 



1. D. dasycaulon, Fresen. in Mu$. Send. ii. 272 (sect. Belphinastrum, 

 £V*J. Stem erect, branched or simple, £-3 ft., shortly pilose with spread- 

 ing harrs or sometimes glabrescent below, with few scattered petiolate leaves, 

 aauical leaves roundish-reniform or -cordate, broadly and deeply 5-lobed ; 

 5 es broadly and irregularly incised, 3-6 in. diam. ; cauliue leaves deeply 

 "Partite ; segments acutely 3-lobed, unequally, acutely and remotely incised, 

 lin ^ v lesS P ilose above and below. Racemes rather loose, hairy, with 

 2 s ' Flower s blue; sepals hairy externally, especially towards the 

 JJWly recurved obtuse spur, which is about half as long (or little more) as 

 lin P POS ! enor se P al ; calcarate posterior petals cartilaginous; limb broadly 

 |J J'W obtuse, 2-fid ; limb of anterior petals bilobate, pilose. Carpels 

 portly pilose or tomentose. 



lU Land - Abyssinia, in mountainous situations, Salt ! Schimper ! and others. 



Order II. DILLENIACE^ (by Prof. Oliver). 



dec 8 ? 18 5 (3_7) ' broadl y imbricate, persistent. Petals 5 (2-7), imbricate, 

 fiWf' Stamens bypogvnous, in African species indefinite, free, or the 

 b v tJl • ! ef y short] v 'coherent ; anthers innate, dehiscing longitudinally or 

 J enninal pores. Carpels free, rarely cohering; ovaries 1-celled, with 1 

 (in Af e ° VUleS - Styles distinct, diverging ; stigmas simple. Fruit-carpels 

 bothiT" S P ecies ) dry, coriaceous, 1- or few-seeded, dehiscing by one or 

 "ishel T' Seeds with a very minute embryo and fleshy albumen fur- 

 le(i with an arillus.— Trees or shrubs, usually climbing, or herbs, with at- 



