200 Order 1.— RANUNCULACE^E. 



Order I. RANUNCULACELE. Crowfoots. 

 Eerbs (or woody climbers) with a colorless, acrid juice. Leaves mostly divided, 

 exstipulate, with half-clasping petioles. Calyx. — Sepals 3-15, green or petaloid, 

 distinct, hypogynous. Corolla. — Petals 3-15, distinct, hypogynous,* sometimes 

 irregular or none. Slamens go, distinct, hypogynous, Anthers adnate, opening 

 lengthwise. Ouaries QO or few, simple, distinct, the cell 1 — GO -ovuled. Fruit 

 either dry achenia, or follicles, or baccate, 1 — 0O —seeded. Sseds anatropous with a 

 straight, minute embryo in horny albumen. 



Illustrated in Figs. 10, 24, 132, 143, 162, 241, 242, 2S3, 291, 294, 367, 336, 415, 45S, 2SG, 2SS, &c. 

 Genera 48, species about 1000, mostly natives of cool, damp climates, those of the tropical 

 regions growing only upon the mountains, and in their proper localities abundant. 



Properties. Nearly all the genera possess acrid and more or less narcotic properties, soma 

 of them being highly prejudicial to animal life. These qualities are dissipated by a boiling heat 

 or by drying, or heightened by spirits and sugar. The species of Helleborus and Aconitum are 

 highly poisonous, but medicinal when rightly used. This order is rich in ornamental cultivated 

 plants. 



TRIBES AND GENERA. 

 Bepals 4, valvate in the bud. Achenia tailed. (Tribe I.) 

 Bepals imbricated in the bud. — Ovaries 1- seeded, acheniate. (2). 

 — Ovaries 2 — qo -seeded. (3) 

 2 Corolla o, or (indistinguishable from the colored calyx. (Tribe II.) 

 2 Corolla and calyx distinct either in color or form. (Tribe III.) 

 3 Sepals as permanent as the stamens. Fruit follicular. (Tribe IV.) 

 3 Sepals caducous sooner than the stamens. (Tribe V.) 

 3 Sepals persistent with the follicular fruit. (Tribe VI.) 

 I. CLEMATIDEJ2. Petals 0, or stamen-like. Leaves all opposite. Clematis. 1 



II. ANEMONE J3. — Sepals deciduous with the stamens. Stem-leaves opposite. Anf.monb. 2 

 — Sepals deciduous with the stamens. Leaves all radical. Hepatica. 3 



— Sepals caducous. Flowers usually imperfect. Tiialictrcm. 4 



— Sepals caducous. Flowers perfect. Trautvf.tteria. 5 



III. EANANCULE^E. — Sepals not appendaged. Flowers scarlet or yellow. Adonis. 6 



— Sepals not appendaged. Petals xanthic, ascitic at base. Ranunculus. 7 

 — Sepals appendaged. Plant minute. Leaves radical. Myosl'rus. S 



IV. HELLEBOPvE^E, Perianth regular. 



— Petals 0. Sepals white. Isopyrum. 9 



—Petals 0. Sepals G to 9, yellow. Cai.tiia. 10 



— Petals slender, tubular at apex. Roots bright yellow. Copth. 11 



— Petals minute, tubular at base, 1-lipped. Trollius. 12 



— Petals small, tubular, 2-lipped. Sepals persistent IIelleboeus. IS i 



— Pet. small, concave, 2-lobed. Fls. racemed. roots.yel.ZANTiioEinzA. 14 



— Petals larger than the colored sepals, 3-lobed. Nigella. 15 



— Petals larger than the colored sepals, spur-like, equal. Aquilegia. 16 



IV. HELLEBOEEJ3, Perianth irregular. 



— Upper sepal spurred, containing two spurred petals. Delphinium. 17 



—Upper sepal hooded, covering the deformed petals. Aconitum. 13 



V. CIMICIFUGE-iE. — Flowers numerous, in long spicato racemes. Ciuicifuga. 19 



— Flowers many, in short racemes. Fruit fleshy. Act.ba. 20 



— Flower 1 only. Plant 2-leaved. Berry compound. Hydrastis. 21 



VI. PiEONIEJ5. — Pet. plane, largo, showy. Disk sheathing the ovary. Pjeonia. 22 

 i 



1. CLEMATIS L. Virgin's Bower. (Gr. tcfajua, a vino or tendril.) 

 Calyx of four colored sepals, in aestivation valvate-induplicate. Petals 

 none, or if present more like sterile filaments. Stamens co, shorter 

 than the sepals, the outer or all sometimes sterile. Ovaries oo, in a 

 head. Achenia caudate with the lengthened plumous or pubescent 

 style, if Herbs, or vines a little woody, climbing by twining petioles. 

 Leaves opposite. The herbage is acrid and caustic. 



§ Ateagene. Outer stamens petal-like. Lvs. verticillate. Fls. solitary. Vine No. 1 



§ Clematis proper. Petals none. Leaves opposite. (*) 



• Vines. — Flowers in eymous panicles Nos. 2 — 4 



— Fls. solitary. — Sepals panduriform, wavy-edged Nos. 5, 6 



— Sepals lance-ovate with a reflexed point Nos. 7, 8 



• Ereot herbs, near 1 f. high. Flowers solitary Nos. 9 — It 



Exotic, cultivated species.... Nos. 12 — 15 



