CiMiciFUGA. RANUNCULACE.E. 35 



times solitary, raroly numerous, follicular or baccate, with several 

 seeds, sometimes indehiscent and l-seeded. — Flowers occasionally by 

 abortion unisexual. 



15. ACT^A. Linn.; Juss. gen. p. 22b; Fischer «f Meyer, 

 ind. sem. St. Petersb. 1835. 



Sepals 4-5. Petals (or staminodia) 4-8, spatulate. Stamens numerous, 

 anthers introrse. Stigma capitate, sessile. Carpels solitary, baccate, many- 

 seeded. Seeds compressed, smooth, horizontal. — Perennial herbs. Leaves 

 2-3-ternately divided j segments incisely serrate. Flowers in simple ra- 

 cemes, white. 



1. A. rubra (Bigel.) : raceme ovate; pedicels longer than the flower, 

 scarcely any thicker in fruit ; petals rhombic-ovate, acute, shorter than the 

 stamens; fruit subovate (red). — Bigel.! fi. Botit. eel. 2. p. 211; Iliok. fl. 

 Bor.-Am. 1. p. 27 ; Fiavh. t^ Mey. I. c. p. 20. A. Americana a. rubra, Ptirsh, 

 J1. 2. p. 366. A. brachvpetala /^. rubra, DC. prodr. 1. jy. 65. A. spicata <i' 

 rubra, Mich. v.! Ji. 1. //. 308. 



Rocky woods, Hudson's Bay to Pennsylvania! west to the Rocky Moun- 

 tams. May. — Stem about two feet high, " leafless and scaly at the base " 

 Fisch. <^ Mey. Leaves ternately decompound ; leaflets ovate, acuminate 

 1-2 inches long, unequally and incisely serrate ; the terminal one often 3-clelt. 

 Raceme 20-4d-flowered, broadly ovate or hemispherical. Sepals 4, greenish, 

 ovitte. Petals sometimes 8 or 10, minute. Berries bright cherry -red shin- 

 ing, about 16-seeded, on pedicels half an inch in length, and not one-fourth 

 as thick as the peduncle. 



2. A. alba (Bigel.) : raceme oblong; pedicels as long as the floAver, much 

 thickened in fruit ; petals oblong, truncate at the apex, shorter than the 

 stamens ; fruit roundish-ovate (white). — Bigel. I. c. ; Hook. I. c; Finch. &■ 

 Mey. I. c. A. Americana /?. alba, Pursh, Ji. 2. p. 336. A spicata /?. alba, 

 3fich.7\ I. c. A. brachvpetala a &, S. DC. prodr. 1. p. 65. A. pachvnoda' 

 Ell. sk. 2.p.l5.' f n , 



Rocky woods, Canada! to Georgia, west to the Mississippi. May. — Re- 

 sembles the preceding very much in its foliage and inflorescence. "Stem 

 leafy at the base," Fisch. cf Meyer. Petals often 2-toothed at the apex. 

 Pedicels of the flowers nearly as thick as the peduncle, at length i-1 inch 

 long, spreading, red. Berry one-fourth of an inch in diameter, 8-12-seeded 

 milk-white and often tipped with purple. — Very near A. spicata of Europe. 



3. .4. arguta (Nutt. ! mss.): "raceme oblong, sometimes divided to- 

 wards the base, loose ; pedicels longer than the flowers, filiform, scarcely 

 thickened in fruit ; petals oblong, oljtuse, shorter than the stamens ; fruit 

 subglobose, (red); leaflets doubly and incisely serrate. 



"Woods of the Oregon and its tributary streams. — A much larger plant 

 than A. rubra, with smaller dark red berries, and more deeply serrated 

 leaflets. Low^er pedicels H inch in length." Nutt. 



16. CIMICIFUGA. L;';???. amain. 7. p. 435 ; Juss. gen. p. 234, 



Cimicifuga, Actinospora, & Botropliis, Fisch. (^ Meyer. 



Sepals 4-5. Petals (or rather staminodia) 3-5, concave or unguiculate 

 sometimes by abortion fewer or none. Stamens numerous: anthers introrse. 

 Style short : stigma simple. Carpels 1-8, follicular, many-seeded. — Peren- 



