Actaa.] flora indica. 59 



varia. Ovaria 1-8. Folliculi totidem. Semina ala seariosa lacera cir- 

 cumdata. — Kerbdd perenues, foliis bi-tri-ternatim sectis, floribus racemosis. 



One East Europe and Siberian and two or three North American species consti- 

 tute the whole of the genus, which is distinguished from Actcea by the dehiscent fruit 

 only, as in one of the American species the ovary is solitary. 



1. C. foetida (L. Syst. Nat. ed. 12. 659) ; foliolis ovatis lanceola- 

 tisve, petalis 2-4 emarginatis vel bifidis, ovariis 4-8. — Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 

 i. 72. C. frigida, Royle! III. 57. Actaea Cimicifuga, L. ; DC. Prod. 

 i. 64. A. frigida, Wall. Cat. 4725 ! Actinospora frigida, Fisch. et 



Meyer. 



Hab. In sylvis Himalaya temperate, alt. 7-12,000 ped.: Kashmir, 



Jacquemont! Royle! Nipal, Wall.! Sikkim ! Bhotan, Griffith /— (FL 

 Jul.) (v. v.) 



Distrib. Europa orient.! et Sibiria! 



Herba elata, foliosa, subglabra, apice ferrugineo-tonjentosa. Folia teniatim vel 

 quinatim 2-3-pinnatisecta, foliolis 1^-3 -poll, subtus ad nervos pubescentibus vel 

 subglabris grosse inciso-serratis. Racemi simplices vel paniculam simpliciter ramo- 

 sani elongatani siepe pedalem formantes. Flores parvi, flavescentes. Petala forma 

 valde varia, subsaccata, et fere integra, vel planiuscula {r-biloba, lobis apice incras- 

 satis. Folliculi ^--pollicares, breviter vel longe pedicellati. 



Tlie form of tbe petals varies much, as well as the length of the pedicel of the 

 fruit and the shape of the leaflets ; nor can we find any character to distinguish the 

 Indian plant from the common North Asiatic species. C. Americana is also very 

 closely allied, but differs in having much more elongated racemes and longer paler- 

 coloured seeds. 



19. ACTflSA, L. 



Sepala 4-5, regularia, elliptica. Petala oblonga vel linearia, 4-5 

 vel plura. Ovarium solitarium, oblongum, stigmate sessili peltato. 

 Fructus indehiscens, baccatus, polyspermus. — Herbse perennes, foliis bi- 

 tri-ternatim sectis y floribus albidis racemosis. 



Two species, one common in the temperate parts of the northern hemisphere and 

 in the Himalaya, the other confined to America (and perhaps not really distinct), con- 

 stitute the whole of this genus. 



1. A, spicata (L. Sp. 722); foliolis ovato- vel oblongo-lanceolatis 

 inciso-serratis, racemo simplici, pedicellis filiformibus. — DC. Prod. i. 

 65 ; Ledeb. FL Ross. i. 71. A. brachy petala, DC. Prod. i. 65 (excl. 

 var. S). A. rubra, Bigelotc ; Torrey et Gray, Fl. N. Am. i. 35. A. 

 arguta, Nuttall ; Torrey et Gray! I.e. A. acuminata, Wall. Cat. 4726! 



Royle! III. 57. 



Hab. In Himalayae temperatae sylvis: Marri, Fleming! Kashmir! 

 Kurnaon ! Bhotan, Griffith! — (Fl. Mai. Jun.) (v. v.) 



Distrib. Europa ! Asia ! et America ! temp. 



Caulis erectus, bipedalis, basi squamosus, aphyllus. Folia pedalia, decomposita, 

 foliolis 1^2|-pollicaribus. Eacemns terminalis, 1-3-pollicaris. Bacca ellipticse vel 

 subglobosse. 



The thick fleshy peduncles and petioles are probably sufficient to distinguish A. 

 alba of Bigelow ; but the other supposed species are unquestionably identical, the co- 

 lour of the fruit alone appearing to vary. 



