floka indica. [Ramtnculacea. 



first indicated by Lindley. The great sheathing base of the petiole, occasionally, 

 though rarely, developed into a stipule, is remarkably different from anything met 

 with in the Anonal families, but has much similarity to very common states of 

 herbaceous Saxifragacece and Rosacea, where the stipules are imperfectly or not 

 at all developed. In Araliacece we occasionally see these organs largely developed. 

 This is also the case in most species of Thalictrum, in which genus also we have 

 frequently stipelhe, analogous in position and function to those of Leguminosae . 



The tribe Clematidea, which differs from the rest of the Order by its frntescent 

 and generally scandent habit, and by its opposite leaves, is not equally distinct in 

 the floral organs, which are only distinguishable from those of Anemone by the val- 

 vate aestivation of the calyx and the elongated stamens. The opposite leaves are, 

 however, a very remarkable character, to which there is no approximation in any 

 other part of the natural class, as it is usually understood, but which recurs in 

 Monimtacece, a small Order usually placed near Lauracea, which we propose to in- 

 clude in this part of the series. 



The position at the commencement of the linear series, whicb *-as been as- 

 signed to Ranunculacea, must not be understood to indicate that they ave considered 

 the most highly-developed family of plants, though this was in all , robability as- 

 sumed to be the case by the founder of our present arrangement. o part of the 

 Dicotyledonous class presents such a well-marked superiority in or-nization, as to 

 enable us to place it without hesitation at the commencement of the scries. It has, 

 however, been conjectured, with some appearance of plausibility, th , those lamilies 

 in which special adaptation of the floral organs has attained its utmost limit, are 

 situated at the highest part of the scale. Gamopetalous plants would therefore be 

 more perfect than polypetalous ones, syncarpous ones more complete than apocarpous, 

 and those with adherent sepals would take a higher place than those in which the 

 ovary is free. It might for the same reason be conjectured that onc-ovuled plants are 

 of a superior grade to those in which many seeds are developed, especially if many 

 carpellary leaves surround and protect a single ovule. If these views were carried 

 out the highest position in the vegetable kingdom would appear to belong to the 

 family of Loranthace*, in which all these features are combined with the utmost 

 simplicity of ovule, with a system of parasitism, and a highly abnormal mode ot ve- 



^Contemplating plants from this point of view RanunmlacevMW >2 

 ratively low place.' In this Order all the parts of the flower exhibit th in n mum 

 amount of deviation from the ordinary type of leaf, and a most remarkable tendency 

 to revert to it. They exhibit also a very great tendency to irregularity not only 

 in the assumption of abnormal forms, but also in the great variation otaxm 

 which they are susceptible in each species. These c.rcumstauces are, we think, 

 highly confirmatory of the propriety of assigning to these plants a low place m he 

 scale/since in all Orders in which special adaptation is carried to a high degree tnc 

 shape of the calyx-tube, as well as of the petals, and of every part of the flower, re 

 mains remarkably constant in each species. The anthers of ^" ne *™*Z*Z 

 like manner invariably basifixed, so that the stamens do not deviate so far from he 

 ordinary type of the leaf, as is the case in many other groups. Thi Ml .also 

 case with the carpels, in which the analogy to leaves is very manifca *, "gong 

 iu the follicular species. Both stamens and carpels Vary much in size in d ittcm 

 individuals of the same species, as has already been indicated with regard to 

 sepals and petals. It is very important that the student should bear j™ tact 

 ,nind in the determination of species, undue weight having in many instances been 

 given to the size of these organs, which frequently continue to enlarge alter ine « 

 pansion of the flower, in consequence of which many species have been ioundea o. 



trivial and unsatisfactory characters. . „»,«,£»,.« 



It has been usual to describe the typical Ranunculacea as having erfw* 8 ™^ 

 but this is far from being universally, or even generally, the case the cells be n a 

 most commonly exactly lateral ; it is only in the genus Ranunculus that the de- 

 hiscence of the anthers is evidently extrorse. This was first indicated by Asa 



