436 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs or rarely shrubs ■with a watery acrid 

 juice. No stipules separate from the petiole. Sepals, petals, 

 and stamens distinct, hypogynous. Corolla with an imbricated 

 aestivation. Anthers adnate, bursting longitudinally. Carpels 

 always more or less distinct. Seeds without an aril, and M'ith 

 horny albumen, anatropal. 



Division of the Order, and Examples of the Genera. — The 

 order is divided into five tribes : — 



Tribe 1. Clematidece. Calyx valvate or induplicate. Fruit 

 consisting of a number of achcenia. Seed pendulous. Ex- 

 ample : — Clematis. 



Tribe 2. Anemonece. Calyx imbricated, usually coloured. Fruit 

 consisting of a number of achasnia. Seed pendulous. Ex- 

 amples : — Anemone, Thalictrum. 



Tribe 3. Ranunculi' cb. Calyx imbricated. Fruit consisting of 

 a number of achania. Seed erect. Example : — Kanunculus. 



Tribe 4. Helleborece. Calyx imbricated. Fruit consisting of 

 one or more whorls of many-seeded follicles. Examples: — 

 Helleborus, Aquilegia, Aconitum, Paionia. 



Tribe 5. Actaece of Lindley. Calyx coloured, imbricated. 

 Fruit succulent, indehiscent, one or many seeded. Examples: 

 — Aetata, Podophyllum. 



Distribution and Numbers. — The plants of this order occur 

 chiefly in cojd damp climates, and are almost unknown in the 

 tropics, except on mountains. Thus Europe contains more than 

 ith of the order; North America about yth ; South America only 

 yyth; and in Africa there are but very few species, except upon 

 the shores of the MediteiTanean. According to Lindley, the 

 order includes 47 genera, and 1000 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants of this order generally 

 abound in an acrid principle, which in some is even caustic. 

 This acridity is, however, very volatile, so that in most cases it 

 is dissipated by drying, or by infusion in boiling or even cold 

 water ; it varies also in different parts of tlie same plant, and 

 even in the same parts at diftcrent seasons. Some plants 

 contain in addition a narcotic principle. When these principles 

 are in excess they are virulent poisons. Generally the plants 

 of this order are to be regarded with suspicion, although some 

 arc simply bitter and tonic. The following arc tlie more im. 

 portant plants of the order, and the uses to which they are 

 applied : — 



Clentatiserccta and Flainmula — The leaves have been used as rubefacients 

 and vesicants. Some other species possess analogous properties. 



llt/drastis canadensis. — The root has a very hitter taste, and is used as a tonic 

 in North America, wliere it is called Yellow-Hoot. 



lianunculus scccratns, and R. Flamtnula, are very acrid, which property 

 is also possessed to a certain extent by many other species. li. Ficaria has 

 thickened roots wiiicli contain a good deal of starch, hence they have been 

 used a> food. 



Aconitum . — Some species of this genus arc very virulent poisons. The 



