514 



BANUNCULACEAE 



rarely a berry. Seeds containing abundant endosperm and a minute embryo. 

 Leaves mostly palmately divided or lobed, in all cases without stipules, but the 

 petioles often with a broad sheathing base. Flowers regular, except in Delphin- 

 ium and Aconitum, and most frequently with a pronounced convex receptacle. 

 Species of Thalictrum and Clematis are dioecious or polygamo-dioecious. Ac- 

 taea has only 1 pistil. In Paeonia, the petals and stamens are inserted on a 

 fleshy disk. This is a widely diffused order, represented in all continents, 

 consisting of 30 genera and about 1080 species. All of our genera are repre- 

 sented in Europe except Trautvetteria and Kumlienia. and all in the Old Work 

 except the latter. The family contains many choice garden and medicinal 

 herbs. 



Bibliog. Hiern, W. P., Forms and Distribution over the world of the Batrachium section 

 of Eanunculus (Jour. Bot. 43-49, 65-69, 97-107, 1871). Gray, A., Notes on Myosurus (Bull. 

 Torr. Club, 13: 1-4, 1886); Eevision of N. Am. Kanunculi (Proc. Am. Acad. 21: 363-378, 

 1886) ; Delphinium, N. Am. Sp. (Bot. Gaz. 12: 49-54, 1887). Trelease, W., N. Am. Species of 

 Thalictrum (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 23: 293-304, pi. 1, 1886). Prantl, K., Morph. und 

 Systematik der Banunculaceen (Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 9: 225-273, 1888). Britton, N. L., Am. 

 species of genus Anemone and the genera which have been referred to it (Ann. N. Y. Acad. 

 Sei. 6: 215-238, 1891) ; Ranunculus repens and its eastern N. Am. allies (Trans. N. Y. Acad. 

 Sci. 12: 2-6, 1892). Jones, M. E., Eev. N. Am. species Aquilegia (Zoe, 4: 254-260, 1893). 

 Greene, E. L., Eevision of Myosurus (Bull. Cal. Acad. 1: 276-279, 1885); Some Calif ornian 

 Eanunculi (Bull. Torr. Club, 14: 116-119, 1887); Remarks on the Genus Actaea (Pitt. 2: 

 107-109, 1890); On some N. Am. Eanunculi (Pitt. 2: 58-65, 109-111, 1890); Eanunculaceous 

 Monotypes (Pitt. 3: 188-195, pis. 2-4, 1897); Segregates of Caltha leptosepala (Pitt. 4: 

 73-81, 1899) ; Certain Calif. Thalictra (Muhl. 5: 128-131, 1909). Huth, E., Monog. Gatt. 

 Caltha (Helios. 9: 55-78, 99-103, t. 1, 1892) ; Eev. der kleineren Eanunculaceen-Gattungen 

 (Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 16: 278-324, 1893); Monog. Gatt. Delphinium (1. c. 20: 322-499, 

 1895). Eastwood, A., Notes on Cal. Species of Delphinium (Bull. Torr. Club, 28: 667-674, 

 1901). Ulbrich, E., System. Gliederung und Geog. Verbreitung Anemone (Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 

 37: 172-334, 1906). Davidson, A., The Delphinii of S. Cal. (Muhl. 4: 33-37, 1908). 



A. Ovary several to many-ovuled; 'fruit a follicle (a ~berry in Actaea). 



Flowers regular, without spurs. 

 Petals not spurred. 



Flowers solitary, rarely 2 or 3. 

 Petals present. 



Flowers brownish red; petals roundish, inserted on a fleshy disk. .1. PAEONIA. 



Flowers white ; petals linear ; disk none 2. COPTIS. 



Petals none; sepals white (rarely pinkish or bluish). 



Leaves simple, round-renif orm 3. CALTHA. 



Leaves compound 4. ISOPYRUM. 



Flowers many, in racemes, white 5. ACTAEA. 



Petals 5, prolonged backward into hollow spurs 6. 



Flowers irregular, complete, with spurs; sepals 5. 



Upper sepal spurred 7. DELPHINIUM. 



Upper sepal helmet-like 8. ACONITUM. 



B. Ovary usually with one ovule ; fruit an achene. 



Leaves alternate or basal; flowers perfect (except in most Thalictra). 

 Petals none. 



Cauline leaves in a single involucral whorl of 3 ; flowers mostly large .... 9. ANEMONE. 

 Cauline leaves alternate; flowers inconspicuous. 



Leaves simple ; flowers perfect 10. TRAUTVETTERIA. 



Leaves compound; flowers commonly dioecious 11. THALICTRUM. 



Petals present. 



Sepals spurred ; achenes on a slender spike-like receptacle ; diminutive herbs . 



12. MYOSURUS. 



Sepals not spurred; achenes crowded on a convex receptacle so as to appear capitate. 

 Petals with a nectar-pit on claw; sepals greenish or yellowish. .13. RANUNCULUS. 

 Petals reduced to a minute stiped nectary ; sepals white, corolla-like 



14. KUMLIENI 

 Leaves opposite ; flowers polygamous ; achenes with a feathery tail ; woody climber 



15. CLEMATIS. 



