34 



RANUNCULACE2E. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 



Order I. RA«[U]VCUI.ACEiE. (Crowfoot Family.) 



Herbs, or woody vines, loith colorless acrid juice, jpolypetci- 

 lous, or apetalous, with the calyx ofteyi colored like a 

 corolla, hypogynous / the sepals, petals, numerous stamens, 

 and many or few pistils, all distinct, or pistils slightly 

 connected hy ovaries, —Flowers regular oi* irregular. Sepals 

 3-14. Petals 3-14, generally equal in number to petals, 

 sometimes irregular, or wanting. Stamens separate, indefinite ; 

 anthers united to filament. Pistils equal to sepals in number, 

 or indefinite, free or united below, l-celled. Fruits akenes, 

 or dehiscent follicles, one- to several-seeded. 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 1. (a) Half flower of Ranunculus, showing the torus on which are inserted the 

 calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistils, all separate from each other : some of the pistils open 

 showing the erect seed. (6) One of the petals with scale at base, under which nectar is 

 usually found, (c) One of the akenes enlarged, (d) The same opened showing the erect seed, 

 (e) Flower of anemone. (/) Pistil of same, with ovary split open, showing j7enrfMZous seed, 

 (o-) ^Estivation, valvular, of Clematis. (A) Induplicate ffistivation of another Clematis. (») 

 Akene of Clematis, with its long silky tail. 



