THE BUTTERCUP FAMILY. 73 



almost entirely extra- tropical, many occurring in the 

 cooler regions and on mountains.^ 



There are only five genera in South Africa, which will 

 be sujB&cient to explain why they are grouped together. 



Ranun'culus pinna'tus. — This is not an uncommon 

 Buttercup, as the species are called in England, 

 occurring in meadows, etc. It is a perennial herb, with 

 very hairy leaves, more or less divided into three 

 or five pieces or segments, i.e. in one or two pairs with 

 a terminal one ; such is described as being pinnately 

 divided or lobed, meaning " feather-like." The stalk 

 widens and forms a sheath at the base. 



The flower has five reflexed sepals, five yellow 

 petals, many or co stamens, as botanists represent the 

 word, and 00 free carpels, constituting an a'pocarioous 

 pistil. All yarts of the flotocr are jjerfectly separate or 

 free. 



When the pistil becomes a fruit, the sepals, petals, 

 and stamens fall off or are deciduous; but the carpels, 

 by drying up, closely invest the seeds within them, 

 so that they do not burst or dehisce in any way. They 

 are called Achenes. 



The accompanying figure (Fig. 26) will give all the 

 details of the structure of the flower of any species 

 of Ranun'cidus. 



* To give the reader some idea of the relative sizes of the orders, 

 I will always add their approximate number of species aud genera iu 

 each case. » 



