RANUNCULACEOUS MONOTYPES. 189 
he compares the plant with something so totally diverse 
from it as the Ranunculus apiifolius of Persoon, the genus 
Aphanostemma of St. Hilaire. This, as far as the genera] and 
habital resemblances go—and these go far in all natural 
classifying—was much as if he had compared Caltha palus- 
tris with Ranunculus sceleratus as being plants closely allied, 
It is not more impossible to find superficial resemblances 
between these two than between Kumlienia and Aphano- 
stemma. This last is a mere South American analogue of 
R. sceleratus and is much like it both in habit and character. 
But this suggestion of an affinity between things extremely 
unlike is not so remarkable as the statement that in char- 
acters of calyx and corolla they are alike; and our author 
thrice published it that this has the sepals and petals of 
Aphanostemma.! Now in Kumlienia, one of the most marked 
characters is its large white calyx, the sepals of which com- 
bine to form that almost cup-like whorl which, like that in 
Caltha, Trollius, etc., is popularly mistaken for a corolla ; and 
there is no more likongás between the calyx of Kwmlienia 
and that of Aphanostemma than between Kumlienia and any 
very small-flowered Ranunculus. They are small and re- 
flexed, so as to be almost out of sight, as in many another 
small-flowered species of that genus. They are said to be 
whitish or flesh-colored; bu: how much force this trifling 
circumstance of color of the sepals ought to have, in this 
ease, may well be intimated by supposing a white or pink 
flowered R. sceleratus or abortivus to be brought in as a proof 
of congeneric affinity between it and Kumlienia. There is, 
indeed, such an almost total dearth of common character- 
istics between Kumlienia and Aphanostemma that I am 
puzzled to understand how any comparison between them , 
could have been suggested. The mere color of the flowers 
is all I can find. The petals, though appearing as mere 
nectaries in both, are not much alike in form. I am very 
OR otek ec a a e 
! Proc. Am. Acad. vii. 328; op. cit. xxi. 365; Syn. Fl. i. 22. 
