2 RANUNCULACE.E. 



capitate on tlie short receptacle, dolabriform-quadrangular and with a strong nerve or rib at 

 each angle, abruptly tipped by the short introrsely stigniatose and recurved or revolute style. 

 Seed not filling the cell. Embryo one third the length of the firm fleshy albumen. 

 * * * Petals conspicuous and deciduous, or sometimes deformed or reduced to nectaries, 



or occasionally wanting : sepals 3 to 8, from herliaceous to petaloid : carpels numerous, 



capitate or spicate, in fruit akeues or sometimes utricles. 



-)— Ovule and seed suspended : rlia])he dorsal. 



7. ADONIS. Sepals and (.5 to IG) petals jdane.unappendaged. Stamens numerous. Akenes 

 capitate or sliort-sjucate. 



8. MYOSURUS. Sepals 5, produced dorsally into a spur or appendage at base. Petals as 

 many, small anil narrow, raised on a tubular-nectariferous filiform claw, sometimes merely 

 staminodial or wholly wanting. Stamens 5 to 20. Akenes very numerous, s])icate on a 

 filiform receptacle, to which they are ventrally affixed, somewliat utricular, but the back 

 thickened and firm. 



■i— -i— Ovule and seed ascending from the inner angle of the cell at or a little above the 

 base : rhaphe ventral. 



9. RANUNCULUS. Sepals and petals plane, normally 5 ; the latter with a nectariferous 

 spot or i)it within, on or above the claw, rarely reduced and glandular. Stamens numerous 

 or occasionally few. Carpels numerous iu a head, rarely few, in fruit coriaceous akenes, or 

 in some utricular. Calyx and corolla usually deciduous. 



Tribe III. nELLEBORE.^E. Sepals few or several, imbricated in the bud, petaloid, 

 mostly deciduous or caducous. Petals variously shaped and nectariferous, or 

 reduced to staminodes, or wanting. Carpels several, few, or solitary, bearing 

 from one to many pairs of horizontal ovules on the ventral suture, becoming 

 follicles or in two genera berries in fruit. Herbs (with one exception), with 

 alternate leaves. (Hellehorece and Cimicifugece of authors.) 



* Ovules more than a single pair. 

 •i— Sepals only tardily deciduous, regular : petals inconspicuous nectaries, or slender, or 

 none : stigma iutrorse : flowers not racemose. 



10. CALTHA. Sepals 4 to 10, broad, widely spreading. Petals none. Follicles 5 to 15 

 (rarely fewer, or still more numerous). Ovules and seeds indefinitely numerous, in two rows . 

 rhaphe becoming almost wing-like. Leaves simple, cordate-rounded. 



11. TROLLIUS. Sepals 5 to 20, In-oad, ascending and incurved or in ours spreading. 

 Petals 5 to 20, fleshy, ligulate or linear-spatulate, with a nectariferous pit on the inner face 

 above the short claw. Follicles 5 to 20, sessile. Ovules and seeds rather numerous in two 

 rows. Leaves palmately lobed or dis.sected. 



1 2. ISOPYRUM. Sepals 5 or 6, broad, widely spreading Petals .5, small and nectariferous, 

 but wanting in American species. Follicles 2 to 20, sessile, rarely short-stipitate. Ovules 

 and seeds several or numerous, or in one species reduced to 3. Leaves 1-3-teruately 

 compound. 



13. COPTIS. Sepals 5 to 7, l)road or narrow, widely spreading. Petals 5 or 6, unguiculate 

 and cucullate or caudate. Follicles 3 to 10, slender-stipitate, 4-10 seeded. Leaves all radical 

 and compound, and scapes one- or umbellately few-flowered. 



13 a. ERANTHIS. Sepals 5 to 8, narrow, deciduous. Petals small bilabiate nectaries. 



Follicles few, stipitate, several-seeded. Radical palmately multifid leaf and simple scape 



from a globular tuber ; the flower surrounded by an involucre consisting of a sessile multifid 



leaf. Only adventive. 

 13 b. HELLEBORUS. Sepals .5, broad and spreading, pe?-.s/ste?i<. Petals small bilaliiate 



nectaries. Follicles several, sessile or nearly so, many-seeded. Leaves palmate or pedate. 



Only adventive. 



-1— -)— Sepals and large spur-shaped nectariferous petals regular, each 5 : stigma introrse. 



14. AQUILEGIA. Sepals oval or oblong. Petals with small limb, produced backward 

 into a large liollow si)ur. Stamens indefinite, some inner ones sterile witli dilated filaments. 



