434 



which precedes that in which they expand (cf. В. pijgmœus and 

 nivalis). AU the species which have been investigated are en- 

 tomophilous except the anemophilous Thalictrum alpinuni-^ with 

 the exception of that plant, they all have flowers which are 

 fairly conspicuous, partly on account of their size being often 

 rather large and partly on account of the colour of the nectary- 

 leaves ; these are yellow in the majority of the species but 

 white in R. glacial is., R. Fallasii, Batrachimn confervoides and 

 Coptis trifolia. The perigone-leaves are green to yellowish-green. 



The majority of the species are dichogamous although not 

 to any great extent, and in all probability self-pollination usu- 

 ally takes place in cases in which cross-pollination does not 

 occur. Again, the greater part of the dichogamous species 

 is proterogynous with a homogamous stage at the end of the 

 flowering period, viz. Ranunculus aff^nis (?), R. sulphureus. R. 

 nivalis^ R. lapponicus (also recorded to be homogamous), R. 

 Pallasii (also homogamous), Thalictrum alpinum (also recorded 

 to be homogamous) and Coptis trifolia which is proterogynous 

 to some extent. 



The protandrous species are R. glacialis, R. acer and R. 

 reptans] also in these species the flowers ultimately become 

 homogamous. In Denmark R. acer has, besides the herma- 

 phrodite flowers, others that are diclinous. 



R. pygmœus and R. hyperboreus are homogamous ; the 

 latter is recorded to be also slightly protandrous. 



Some of the species are recorded to have fragrant flowers: 

 R. acer (perfume slight), R. sulphureus^ R. nivalis and especi- 

 ally R. Pallasii and lapponicus. 



All the entomophilous species have nectaries except 

 Anemone Richardsoni. In the majority of the species of Ra- 

 nunculus the nectary is covered by a simple scale; in R. acer 

 this is irregularly lobed at the free edge; in R. glacialis the 

 nectary is naked, but a lobed scale is seated above it. In 

 Batrachium the nectar-pil is naked. 



