THALAMIFLOR^ 65 



The petals are more or less united below or 

 meet together in the case of the Fumitories, Milk- 

 worts, Water-blinks, Tamarisk, Mallows, Holly, 

 amongst Crassulaceae in Cotyledon, and in the White 

 Bryony. 



The group Polypetalae includes the Thalamiflorae, 

 with perianth hypogynous, and the Calyciflorae, with 

 perianth perigynous and epigynous. 



I. The Buttercup Group (Summary). 



{^Introductory Volintie^ p. j,f) 



The order Ranunculacese includes about 700 

 species, distributed in about 27 genera, which are 

 spread over the North Temperate Zone. 



The members of this Order are chiefly herbaceous 

 perennials, but a few are shrubs, as Clematis. They 

 are frequently provided with a rhizome ; the shoots are 

 annual and flowering, a bud in the axil of the leaves 

 serving for the next year's growth. Adventitious 

 roots are formed when the primary root dies down, 

 or tubers may be formed. 



The leaves are alternate, sometimes with sheathing 

 bases, and are often divided. 



The flowers may be single and terminal. The 

 inflorescence is usually cymose, and the flowers may 

 be regular or irregular, and unisexual or bisexual. 

 The flower is spiral on a long receptacle, or the 

 perianth leaves may be whorled. The perianth is 



