75. 
THE GENERA OF RANUNCULACEAE. 
I give here a brief outline of the classifications of the genera 
of Ranunculaceae by the principal systematists of the last century. 
Jussieu Jussieu (Genera Plantarum, 231) divided the 24 genera 
1789. of Ranunculaceae into four groups. 
I. Fruits 1-seeded, indehiscent. 
Il. Fruits several-seeded, dehiscent on the Jot 
Petals irregular 
Ill. Fruits several-seeded, dehiscent on the ‘adie: 
Petals regular. 
IV. Ovary one. Berry 1-celled, many-seeded. 
In his first group we find the genera Clematis, Atragene, 
Thalictrum, Hydrastis, Anemone, Hamadryas, Adonis, Ranun- 
culus, Ficaria, Myosurus. 
In the second group :—T'rollius, Helleborus, Isopyrum, Nigella, 
Garidella, Aquilegia, Delphinium, Aconitum | 
In the third group :—Caltha, Paeonia , Xanthorrhiza, Cimicifuga. 
In the fourth group :—Actaea and Podophy 
From this list it is clear that Jussieu an a "very good idea 
indeed of classification. His term “irregular’’ in regard to 
petals, however, was not strictly applied to the zygomorphic 
flower as we recognise it at the present day, for it included the 
actinomorphic flowered Trollius, Helleborous, Isopyrum, Nigella, 
Garidella and Aquilegia, as well as the truly zygomorphic flowered 
genera Delphinium and Aconitum. 
Jussieu’s fourth group need not be considered here, Podo- 
phyllum being now assigned to the Berberidaceae. 
De Candolle De Candolle (Systema Naturale 1. 127) arranged 
1818, the family into two main groups. 
I. Ranunculaceae Verae. I1. Ranunculaceae Spuriae. 
Group I. was divided into four tribes more or less 
as we know them to-day :— 
1. Clematideae ; 2. Anemoneae; 3. Ranunculeae; 4. Helleboreae. 
His “‘ spurious’ Ranunculaceae were Actaea, Xanthorrhiza, and | 
Paeonia. This classification was adhered to in his Prodromus 
(i. 2. (1824) ) except that the “spurious ” genera were included 
in a fifth tribe, Paeoniaceae, with a remark as to whether it 
should not constitute a distinct family. It is interesting to note 
that already in 1824 there were known 90 species of Clematis, 
52 species of Thalictrum, 49 species of Anemone, 159 species of 
Ranunculus, 53 species of Delphinium and 22 species of Aconitum. 
At that time the number of species known for these genera 
totalled 425, and Bentham & Hooker’s estimate 44 years later 
added only 13 more. The estimate for these genera in the 
present paper is 1290 species, which shows a great increase in 
our knowledge during recent Lari 
