6 



cum ajawain of Roxb. is prescribed in India in diseases of horses and cows. 

 Jiinslie ) 1. 38. 



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



III. RANUNCULACEiE. The Crow-Foot Tribe. 



Ranunculi, Juss. Gen. (1789.)— Ranunculaceje, Dec. Syst. 1. 127. (1818.) Prodr. 1. 2. 

 (1824.) Landl. Synops. p.7. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. 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 carpeha cohere more or less. 

 In Thalictrum, some species of Clematis, and some other genera, there are no 

 petals. Pffionia has a persistent calyx. 



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

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

 distinct, sometimes deformed in correspondence with metamorphosis in the stamens. Sta- 

 mens indefinite in number, hypogynous : antlicrs adnate, in the true genera turned outwards. 

 Pistilla numerous, seated on a torus, 1-celled or united into a single many-celled pistillum ; 

 ovarium one or more seeded, the ovula adhering to the inner edge ; style one to each ova- 

 rium, 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 solitary, either 

 erect or pendulous. Embryo minute. Albumen corneous. — Herbs, or very rarely 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 Dilleniaces, Magnoliacere, and their allies, to which 

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

 tion generally, differing however in an abundance of particulars ; as from 

 Dilleniaceaj, in the want of arillus, deciduous calyx, and whole habit ; from 

 Magnoliacea?, in the want of stipulee, and sensible qualities ; from Papavera- 

 cese and Nymphaacea?, in the distinct, not concrete, carpella, watery, not 

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

 traced with Rosacea, 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 pcrigynous, in the presence of large 

 albumen surrounding a minute embryo, want of stipulaj and acrid properties. 

 With Umbelliferre they accord in the last particular, and also in their sheath- 

 ing leaves, habit, and abundant albumen, with a minute embryo ; but those 

 plants differ 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 Ranunculacea? and Umbelliferas 

 should be placed near each other. Another analogy has been indicated 

 by botanists between this order and Alismacere, with which it agrees in its 

 numerous ovaria, and in habit ; but that order is monocolyledonous. 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, Aquile- 

 gia, and Aconitum, in which they are furnishedwith a spur, and in Ranuncu- 

 lus itself, which has a nectariferousgl and at the base of the petals. An in- 

 stance is described of the polypetalous regular corolla of Clematis viticella 



