514 RANUNCULACEAE 



rarely a berry. Seeds eontaiuing abundaut enddsperni and a minute embryo. — • 

 Leaves mostly palmately divided or lobed,in all eases without stipules, but the 

 petioles often with a broad sheathing base. Flowers regular, except in Delphin- 

 ium and Aoonitum, and most frequently with a pronounced convex receptacle. 

 Species of Thalictrum and Clematis are dioecious or polygamo-dioecious. Ae- 

 taea has only 1 pistil. In Paeonia. the petals and stamens are inserted on a 

 fleshy disk. — This is a widely dift'used order, represented in all continents, 

 consisting of 30 genera and about lOSO species. All of our genera are repre- 

 sented in Europe except Trautvetteria and Kumlienia, and all in the Old World 

 except the latter. The family contains many choice garden and medicinal 

 herbs. 



Bibliog. — Hiern. W. P., Forms and Distribution ovpr the world of the Batrachiiim section 

 of Kanunculus (Jour. Bot. 43-19, 6.5-69, 97-107, — 1871). Gray, A., Notes on Mvosurus (Bull. 

 Torr. Club, 1.3: 1-4,-1886); Revision of N. Am. Ranunculi (Proe. Am. Acad. 21: 363-378,— 

 1886) ; Delphinium, N. Am. Sp. (Bot. Gaz. 12: 49-54, — 1SS7). Trelease, W., N. Am. Species of 

 Thalictrum (Proe. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 23: 293-304, pi. 1,-1886). Prantl, K., Morph. unil 

 S.vstematik der Ranunculaccen (Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 9: 225-273, — 1888). Britton, N. L., Am. 

 species of genus Anemone and the genera which have been referred to it (Ann. N. Y. Acad. 

 Sei. 6: 21-5-238, — 1891) ; Ranunculus repens and its eastern N. Am. allies (Trans. N. Y. Acad. 

 Sci. 12: 2-6,-1892). Jones, M. E., Rev. N. Am. species Aquilegia (Zoe, 4: 254-260,-1893). 

 Greene, E. L., Revision of Myosurus (Bull. Cal. Acad. 1: 276-279, — 1885); .Some Californian 

 Ranunculi (Bull. Torr. Club, 14: 116-119,-1887); Remarks on the Genus Actaea (Pitt. 2: 

 107-109,-1890); On some N. Am. Ranunculi (Pitt. 2: 58-65, 109-111,-1890); Ranunculaeeous 

 Monotvpes (Pitt. 3: lSS-195, pis. 2-4, — 1897); Segregates of Caltha leptosepala (Pitt. 4: 

 73-81,-^1899); Certain CaUf. Thalictra (Muhl. 5: 128-131,-1909). Huth, E., Monog. Gatt. 

 Caltha (Helios. 9: 5.5-78, 99-103, t. 1, — 1892); Rev. der kleineren Ranunculaeeen-Gattungen 

 (Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 16: 278-324, — 1893); Monog. Ciatt. Delphinium (1. e. 20: 322-499.— 

 1895). Eastwood, A., Notes on Cal. Species of Delphinium (Bull. Torr. Club, 28: 667-674, — 

 1901). I'lbrich, E., Svstem. Gliederung und Geog. Verbreitung Anemone (Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 

 37: 172-334,-1906). "Davidson, A., The Delphiuii of S. Cal. (Muhl. 4: 33-37,-1908). 



A. Ovary several to luaiiy-ovujcd ; fruit a follirle (a hvrri/ in Actaea). 



Flowers regular, without spurs. 

 Petals not spurred. 



Flowers solitary, rarely 2 or 3. 

 Petals present. 



Flowers brownish red; petals roundish, inserted on a fleshy disk. .1. P.\eonia. 



Flowers white; petals linear; disk none 2. Coptis. 



Petals none; sepals white (rarely pinkish or bluish). 



Leaves simple, round-renif orm 3. C.\lth.\. 



Leaves compound 4. Isopyrvm. 



Flowers many, in racemes, white 5. AcT.iEA. 



Petals 5, prolonged backward into hollow spurs 6. Aquilegia. 



Flowers irregular, complete, with spurs; sepals 5. 



tipper sepal spurred 7. Delphinium. 



Upper sepal helmet-like 8. Aconitum. 



B. Ovary usuallii n ith one ovide ; fruit an achene. 



Leaves alternate or basal; flowers perfect (except in most Thalictra). 

 Petals none. 



Cauline leaves in a single involucral whorl of 3; flowers mostly large. . . .9. AXEMOXE. 

 Cauline leaves alternate; flowers inconspicuous. 



Leaves simple ; flowers perfect 10. Traut\'etteria. 



Leaves compound; flowers commonly dioecious 11. Thalictrum. 



Petals present. 



Sepals spurred; achenes on a slender sjiike-like receptacle; diminutive herbs 



12. Myosurus. 



Sepals not spurred ; achenes crowded on a convex receptacle so as to appear capitate. 



Petals with a neetar-pit on claw; sepals greenish or yellowish. .13. Ranunculus. 



Petals reduced to a minute stiped nectary; sepals white, corolla-like 



14. Kumlienia. 



Leaves opposite; flowers polygamous; achenes with a feathery tail; woody climber 



15. Clematis. 



