204 ORDER 1. RANUNCULACEJS. 



Observation. Many other foreign species are ornamental, and perhaps rarely 

 cultivated. They all prefer a fresh, loamy soil 



3. HEPATICA, Dill. LIVERWORT. Fig. 132, 190. (Gr. fjnaros, 

 of the liver; from the fanfied resemblance of the leaf.) Involucre of 

 3 entire, ovate, obtuse bracts, resembling a calyx, situated a little below 

 the flower; calyx of 5 9 petaloid sepals, disposed in 2 or 3 rows; 

 corolla ; achenia awnless. 



H. trfloba Chaix (and acutiloba' DC). Lvs. trilobate, the lobes entire; scape 



1-flowered, hairy. Woods, Can. to Ga., and Wise. This little plant is one of the 



. . ^ ^ earliest harbingers of spring, often putting forth its neat and elegant flowers in 



Z.y' //"// the neighborhood of some lingering snow bank. The root consists of numerous 



ii and strong fibers. Lvs. all radical, on long, hairy petioles, smooth, evergreen, 



coriaceous, divided into three lobes, which suggest all its names. Fls on scapes 



34' long, solitary, numerous, generally blue, but frequently in varieties of white 



and flesh color. In cultivation they become double. In respect to the form of 



leaves there are two varieties: 



a. OBTUSA, lobes obtuse, rounded. Prefers the south side of hills. 



j8. ACUTA, lobes acute. Prefers the north side of hills. (H. acutiloba, D. C.) 



4. THALICTRUW, Tourn. MEADOW RUE. (Said to be from 

 0a/lAw, to be green.) Calyx colored, of 4 5 roundish, concave, 

 caducous sepals ; corolla ; filaments GO, compressed, dilated upward, 

 longer than the calyx; ovaries numerous (4 15); achenia sessile or 

 stipitate, ribbed or inflated, pointed with the stigma or short 'style. 

 if Lvs. ternately compounded, with stalked leaflets. Fls. paniculate, 

 often ? $ or $ $ $ . 



* Carpels mostly 10 or 12, beaked with a style Nos. 1,2 



* Carpels few (46), with sessile stigmas Nos. 3,4 



1 T. dioicum L. $ $ ; stem leaves on a short common petiole ; Ifts. obtusely 

 6-7 lobed ; ach. about 8, sessile. Hilly woods, Brit. Am. to Ga. and Ala. A 

 slender and delicate plant, glabrous and glaucous, 1 2f high. Lvs. ternately 

 decompound, the cauline on petioles 1 3' long, shortening upward. Lfts. roundish, 

 about f' diameter, with 5 7 obtuse lobes, paler beneath. Filaments filiform, longer 

 than the 5 obtuse sepals. The slender terminal panicle is often purplish, gener- 

 ally pale green. Fruit strongly ribbed and distinctly pointed. May. 



2 T. cornuti L. 2 $ ; stem Ivs. all sessile (no common petiole) ; Ifts. roundish 

 obovate, rather acutely 3-lobed ; ach. about 12, substipitate, ribbed. Common 

 in meadows. Stem 3-4f high, smooth, hollow, jointed, furrowed Lvs. resem- 

 bling those of the columbine (Aquilegia), green above, smooth, several times 

 compounded. Lfx. 1-2' long, f as wide. Panicles large and diffuse. Jn., JL 



0. PURPURASCKNS. Stems purplish, tall; stem-lvs. sessile or the lower with 

 short stalks; fls. purplish-green, with drooping capillary fil. ; Ifts. thickish, 

 the sides revolute. Dry hills, N. H. to Ga. (T. purpurascens L.) 



3 T. clavatum, DC. Fls. perfect; Ivs. cauline: panicle corymbous : ach. stiped. 

 N. Car. (Curtis). Plant very smoooth, 2f or more in night Lvs. biteruate, on 

 petioles 1' in length ; Ifts. roundish, obtusely 3 5-lobed, glaucous beneath. 

 Panicles loose and capillary. Fruit inflated, obovate, striate, each as long as its 

 slender stipe, acute. Style 0. 



4 T. alpinum L. Lvs. mostly radical : fls. $ in a simpk raceme : ach. ovate, 

 sessile. Can. and northward. Plant about 6' high, glabrous. Lvs. petiolate, 

 biternate ; Ifts. roundish, about 4' diam., crenately toothed. Stems few-leaved, 

 terminating in a cluster of a few nodding flowers on slender pedicels. Fila- 

 ments filiform. Style 0. 



5. TRAUTVETTERIA, Fisch. and Meyer. (Named in honor of 

 Trautvetter, a German botanist.) Sepals 4 5, colored, caducous; 

 petals 0; stamens oo, petaloid; carpels 15 20, membranous and in- 



