102 RANUNCULACEAE. 



Nymphaea polysepala (Engelm.) Greene. Wokas. Leaves orbicular or 

 broadly oval, deeply cordate, 20-30 cm. long, 12-20 cm. broad; calyx sub- 

 globose, about 8 cm. broad; sepals 8-12, yellow, often red-tinged; petals 12-18, 

 ovate-cuneate, truncate, 1-1.5 cm. long; stamens very numerous; fruit sub- 

 globose, 4-5 cm. long. In ponds and lakes. 



138. BRASENTA. WATERSHIELD. 



Aquatic herbs with creeping rootstocks; leaves alternate, long- 

 petioled, centrally peltate, oval, floating; flowers axillary, small; 

 sepals 3 or 4; petals 3 or 4, linear, sessile; stamens 12-18; pistils 

 4-18, forming club-shaped indehiscent pods, each with 1-2 seeds. 



Brasenia schreberi Gmel. Watershield. Leaves alternate, long-petioled, 

 oval, entire or obscurely crenate, centrally peltate, 2-10 cm. long; flowers dull 

 purple; submerged parts of the plant coated with a tough transparent jelly. 

 In lakes, Spokane County. 



Family 38. RANUNCULACEAE. BUTTERCUP FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs or sometimes woody plants with 

 acrid sap; leaves usually alternate (opposite in Clematis), simple 

 or compound; stipules none but the base of the petiole often 

 clasping or sheathing; flowers regular or irregular; sepals 3-15, 

 generally soon withering, often petal-like; petals 3-15, or want- 

 ing; stamens numerous, hypogynous; carpels numerous or few 

 or rarely solitary, separate, 1-celled, 1-many-ovuled ; endosperm 

 present. 



Carpels numerous, 1-ovuled; fruit an akene. 



Leaves opposite. 139. CLEMATIS, 103. 



Leaves alternate or basal. 



Flowers subtended by involucres remote 



from the calyx. 140. ANEMONE, 103. 



Flowers not subtended by involucres. 

 Petals none. 



Leaves ternately decompound. 141. THALICTRUM, 104. 



Leaves simple, palmately lobed. 142. TRAUTVETTERIA, 104. 

 Petals present. 



Sepals spurred; akenes in a long 



slender spike. 143. MYOSURUS, 104. 



Sepals not spurred; akenes in a head. 

 Petals white; akenes trans- 

 versely wrinkled. 144. BATRACHIUM, 105. 

 Petals yellow; akenes smooth. 145. RANUNCULUS, 105. 

 Carpels few, 2-many-ovuled; fruit a follicle or 



berry. 

 Flowers irregular. 



Upper sepal spurred; petals 4. 146. DELPHINIUM, 108. 



Upper sepal hood-like; petals 2. 147. ACONITUM, 109. 



Flowers regular. 



Sepals spurred. 148. AQUILEGIA, 110. 



Sepals not spurred. 



