6 



Cynapium has been found by Professor Ficinus, of Dresden, to contain a 

 peculiar alkali, which he calls Cynopia. Turner, 654. The fruit of Ligus- 

 ticum ajawaiii of Roxb. is prescribed in India in diseases of horses and cows. 

 Ainslie, 1. 38. 



Examples. Chaerophyllum, Pastinaca, Eryngium, Hydrocotyle, &c. 



III. RANUNCULACEiE. The Crow-Foot Tribe. 



Ranunculi, JMss.Gm. (1789.) — Ranunculace/T-, D^c. %sM. 1 2?. (181 8) ;Prorfr. 1.2. 

 (1824): Lindl. Synops. p. 7- (1829.) 



DiAGKOSis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with hypogynous stamens, 

 anthers bursting by longitudinal slits, several distinct simple carpella, 

 exstipulate leaves sheathing at their base, solid albumen, and seeds without 

 arillus. 



Anomalies. In Garidella and Nigella the carpella cohere more or 

 less. In Thalictrum, some species of Clematis, and some other genera, there 

 are no petals. Paeonia has a persistent calyx. 



Essential Character. — Sepals 3-6, hypogynous, deciduous, generally imbricate 

 in aestivation, occasionally valvate or duplicate. Petals 5-15, hypogynous, in one or more 

 rows, distinct, sometimes deformed in correspondence with metamorphosis in the stamens. 

 Stamens indefinite in number, hypogynous ; anthers adnate, in the true genera turned out- 

 wards. Pistilla numerous, seated on a torus, 1-celled or united into a single many-celled 

 pistillum ; ovarium one or more seeded, the ovnla adhering to the inner edge ; slt/le one to 

 each ovarium, short, simple. Fruit either consisting of dry nuts or caryopsides, or baccate 

 with one or more seeds, or follicular with one or two valves. Seeds albuminous ; when soli- 

 tary, either erect or pendulous. Embryo minute. Albumen corneous — Herbs, or very 

 rarelv shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, generally divided, with the petiole dilated and 

 forming a sheath half clasping the stem. Hairs, if any, simple. Inflorescence variable. 



Affinities, This is an order which has a strong affinity with many 

 others, some of which are widely apart from each other. Its most imme- 

 diate resemblance is with Dilleniacese, Magnoliacese, and their allies, to 

 which it approaches in the position, number, and structure of its parts 

 of fructification generally, differing however in an abundance of particulars ; 

 as from Dilleniacea>, in the want of arillus, deciduous calyx, and whole 

 habit; from Maj^noliacese, in the want of stipulge, and sensible qualities ; from 

 Papaveracese and Nymphajaceae, in the distinct, not concrete, carpella, watery, 

 not milky, fluids, acrid, not narcotic, properties. More distant analogy may 

 be traced with Rosaecce, with which they agree in their numerous carpella, 

 the number of their floral divisions and indefinite stamens ; but differ in 

 those stamens being hypogynous instead of perigynous, in the presence 

 of large albumen surrounding a minute embryo, want of stipulae and acrid 

 properties. With Umbclliferse they accord in the last particular, and also 

 in their sheathing leaves, habit, and abimdant albumen, with a minute 

 embryo; but those plants dift'er in their calyx being concrete with the 

 ovarium, and in their stamens being invariably definite ; no doubt, however, 

 •can be entertained, that in any really natural arrangement Ranunculaceae 

 and Umbellifera; should be placed near each other. Another analogy has 

 been indicated by botanists between this order and Alismacete, with which 

 it agrees in its numerous ovaria, and in habit; but that order is monocoty- 

 ledonous. A great peculiarity of Ranunculaceae consists in the strong 

 tendency exhibited by many of the genera to produce their sepals, petals, 

 and stamens, in a state different from that of other plants; as, for example, 

 in Delphinium, Aquilegia, and Aconitum, in which they are furnished with 



