34 



RANUNCULACE^. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 



Order I. RABfinVCULiACEiE. (Crowfoot Family.) 



Herbs ^ or icoody vines, with colorless acrid juice, jpolypetor- 

 loics, or apetcdous, with the calyx often colored like a 

 corolla, hyjyogynoics / the sejpals, petals, numerous stamens, 

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

 connected by ovaries. —Flowers regular or 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, 1-celled. Fruits akenes, 

 or dehiscent follicles, one- to several-seeded. 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. I. (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, (i) 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 pentfwZous seed. 

 (ff) ^Estivation, valvular, of Clematis, (h) IndupUcate ajstiration of another Clematis, (i) 

 Akene of Clematis, with its long silky tail. 



