34 RANUNCULACE^. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 



Division I. POLYPETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS. 



Floral envelopes consisting of both calyx and corolla ; the 

 petals not united with each other. (Several genera or species 

 belonging to Polypetalous Orders are destitute of petals, or 

 have them more or less united.) 



Order 1. RANUNCULACE^. (Crowfoot Family.) 



Herbs or some woody plants, with a colorless and usually acrid Juice, 

 polypetalous, or apetalous with the calyx often colored like a corolla, hijpogy- 

 nous ; the sepals, petals, numerous stamens, and many or few {rarely sin- 

 gle) pistils all distinct and unconnected. — Flowers regular or irregular. 

 Sepals 3-15. Petals 3-15, or wanting. Stamens indefinite, rarely 

 few. Fruits either dry pods, or seed-like (achenes), or berries. Seeds 

 anatropous (when solitary and suspended the rhaphe dorsal), with hard 

 albumen and a minute embryo. — Leaves often dissected, their stalks 

 dilated at the base, sometimes with stipule-hke appendages. (A large 

 family, including some acrid-narcotic poisons.) 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



Tribe I. CL,JEMATIDE^. Sepals normally 4, petal-like, valvate in the bud, or with 

 the edges bent inward. Petals none, or small. Achenes numerous, tailed with the 

 feathery or hairy styles. Seed suspended. — Leaves all opposite. 



1. Clematis. Climbing by the leafstalks, or erect herbs. 



Tribe II. ANEMONE^E. Sepals 3-20, often petal-like, imbricated in the bud. Sta- 

 mens mostly numerous. Achenes numerous or several, in a head or spike. — Herbs, 

 never climbing ; leaves alternate, or radical, the upper sometimes opposite or whorled. 

 * Petals none (rarely some staminodia). Seed suspended, 

 ■t- All but the lower leaves opposite or whorled Peduncles 1-flowered. 



2. *jiemone. Involucre leaf-like, remote from the flower. Leaves compound or dis- 



secteii. Pistils very many. 

 .3. Hepatica. Involucre close to the flower, of 3 oval bracts, calyx-like. Leaves radical, 



simple and lobed. Pistils several. 

 4. Anemonella. Stigma terminal, broad and flat. Radical leaves and involucre com- 

 pound. Peduncles umbellate. Achenes 4 - 15, many-ribbed. 



1- +- Leaves alternate, compound. Flowers panicled, often dioecious, 

 a. Thalictrum. Sepals usually 4, petal-like or greenish. Achenes few. 



* # Petals none. Sepals 3-5, caducous. Seed erect. Leaves alternate. 



6. Trautvetteria. Achenes numerous, inflated, 4-angled. Flowers corj'mbose. Fila- 



ments white, clavate. 



* * * Petals evident. Sepals usually 5. Achenes many. 



7. Adonis. Sepals and petals (5-16, crimson or scarlet) flat, unappendaged. Seed 



suspended. 



8. Myosurus. Sepals spurred. Petals 5, white. Achenes in a long spike. Scapes 



1-flowered. Seed suspended. 



9. Ranunculus. Petals 5, yellow or white, with a scale or gland at base. Achenes 



capitate. Seed erect. 



