Jones: Flora of Illinois, 62. Ranunculaceae 127 



62. Ranunculaceae Juss. — Buttercup Family 



1 . Flowers yellow. 



2. Petals none; sepals petal-like, yellow, deciduous; leaves crenate; carpels several- 

 ovuled, becoming follicles I . Callha 



2. Petals present; sepals green; carpels I -ovuled, becoming achenes 9. Ranunculus 



I. Flowers not wholly yellow. 



3. Flowers white to pink. 



4. Stems climbing; leaves opposite; flowers in panicles, dioecious 15. Clemalis 



4. Stems not climbing; leaves not opposite. 



5. Flowers zygomorphic; upper petal spurred; leaves palmately divided or cleft; 



inflorescence a raceme 7. Delphinium 



5. Flowers actinomorphic, spurless. 



6. Aquatic plants with finely dissected leaves; sepals 5, green; petals 5, white; 



carpels I -ovuled, becoming achenes 9. Ranunculus 



6. Not aquatic, mostly woodland plants. 



7. Flowers racemose; petals small, stamen-like or none; leaves ternately 

 compound. 

 8. Racemes simple, short; fruit red or white, berry-like 5. Aclaea 



8. Racemes paniculate, elongate; fruit a follicle 6. Cimicifuga 



7. Flowers solitary or in pairs, or 3 or 4 in an umbel, not racemose. 



9. Flowers with an involucre of 3 sepal-like bracts immediately beneath 



the calyx; leaves 3-lobed 14. Hepalica 



9. Flowers without an involucre, or the involucre similar to the leaves, and 



remote from the flowers. 



10. Sepals 3, petaloid, evanescent; petals none; carpels 2-ovuled, 



becoming berries ; leaves reniform, palmately lobed....2. Hydrastis 



10. Sepals 5 or more, petal-like; petals none; fruit of achenes or 



follicles. 



II. Leaves palmately lobed or cleft, the segments usually sessile; 



fruit of achenes; plants with a rhizome or caudex 



12. Anemone 



1 1 . Leaves ternately compound, the leaflets stalked. 



12. Flower solitary; leaflets mucronulate; carpels 3-4, each 2-3- 

 ovuled, becoming divaricate, slender-beaked follicles 5 mm. 

 long; style present; roots not at all or only slightly 



thickened 3. Isopyrum 



12. Flowers usually 3 or 4 in an umbel; leaflets not mucronulate; 

 carpels 4-15, each 1 -ovuled, becoming ribbed achenes 8-12 

 mm. long at maturity; stigma sessile; roots tuberous- 

 thickened 13. Anemonella 



3. Flowers red, blue, purple, or greenish. 



13. Leaves entire, basal, linear; sepals minutely spurred at base; receptacle becom- 

 ing conspicuously elongated 8. Myosurus 



13. Leaves lobed, parted, or compound. 



14. Flowers red, spurred, nodding so that the five spurs point upward; stamens 



exserted; anthers yellow 4. Aqudegia 



14. Flowers not red. 



15. Flowers spurred, blue; leaves alternate 6. Delphinium 



1 5. Flowers spurless ; petals none. 

 16. Leaves alternate. 



17. Leaves simple, palmately lobed; flowers all perfect. 



18. Flowers solitary, subtended by 3 small sessile bracts simulating 



a calyx; sepals 6-12 14. Hepalica 



18. Flowers corymbose; involucres none; sepals 3-5, usually 4.... 



1 1 . Traulvetleria 



17. Leaves ternately compound; flowers polygamous or dioecious.... 



10. Thalictrum 



16. Leaves not alternate; flowers solitary. 



19. Leaves (of the stem) whorled, dissected 12. Anemone 



19. Leaves opposite 15. Clematis 



