Oematit.'] I. RANUNCULACE^E. 8 



A larger climber, its woody stems attaining even the thickness of the 

 wrist and a length of several yards, whilst the young branches spread 

 to a great extent over shrubs, clinging by their twisted petioles. 

 Leaves pinnate, usually with 5 ovate stalked segments. Flowers 

 greenish-white, in loose panicles at the ends of short axillary or 

 terminal branches. Carpels, when ripe, very conspicuous from the 

 persistent styles, which grow out into long feathery awns. 



In hedges, thickets, and open woods in central and southern Europe 

 to the Caucasus. Abundant in several of the southern and some of the 

 central counties of England, and naturalised in Ireland. Fl. summer. 



II. THALICTRUM. THALICTRUM. 



Herbs with a short perennial rootstock, annual, erect stems, and 

 much divided leafstalks, bearing distinct segments or leaflets. Sepals 

 4 or 5, small, coloured, and petal-like, but no real petals. Stamens 

 numerous, with long anthers projecting beyond the calyx. Carpels 

 several, 1-seeded, furrowed, and usually acute at both ends. 



A considerable genus generally diffused over the northern hemisphere, 

 distinguished from Actcea by the distinct 1-seeded carpels, from all 

 others of the Order by the thin texture of the sepals, the large anthers, 

 and peculiar foliage. The species are very variable and difficult to 

 characterise. They have also been much multiplied by modern botanists, 

 but if the British forms be limited to three species, their characters are 

 more striking. 



Stem simple, seldom 6 inches high 1. T. alpinum. 



Stem 1 or more feet high. 



Leaflets roundish ; panicle diffuse ; flowers mostly drooping . 2. T. minug. 



Leaflets obovate or wedge-shaped; panicle compact; flowers 



mostly erect. , 3. T. Jlavum. 



Some foreign European species are to be met with in old gardens, 

 especially the tall handsome T. aquilegifolium. 



1. T. alpinum, Linn. (fig. 2). Alpine T. Stem usually simple and 

 almost leafless, from 4 to 6 inches high. Leaves mostly radical, about 

 half the height of the stem, with the footstalk twice divided into 3 

 or 5 branches ; leaflets small, roundish, and crenate or lobed. Panicle 

 nearly reduced to a simple raceme. Flowers few and drooping, each 

 with 4 small sepals. Stamens from 10 to 20. Carpels generally reduced 

 to 2 or 3. Pedicel of the fruit recurved, as well as that of the flower. 



An alpine plant, native of the mountains of northern Europe and 

 Asia, and at greater elevations in the mountains of central and southern 

 Europe, Asia, and North America. Abundant in the Highlands of Scot- 

 land ; very rare in Ireland, local in northern England and North Wales. 

 Fl. summer. 



2. T. minus, Linn. (fig. 3). Lesser T. A very variable species ; in 

 dry limestone soils often only a foot high, of a glaucous hue, or slightly 

 downy ; in moist, rich situations (where, however, it is seldom found) it 

 is much larger and greener, but readily distinguished from T. flavum by 

 its loose panicle occupying a great part of its height ; the pedicel also 

 is as long or longer than the flower, and recurved in bud, although it 

 becomes erect as the fruit ripens. Stem usually in zigzag, making a 

 bend at everv node. Petioles, especially of the lower and rootleavea, 



