32 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



white flowers, is grown in aquaria; Brasenia (Water 

 Shield) is grown in aquatic gardens, as are also various 

 species of Nuphar (Yellow Water-Lily, Spatterdock, 

 Cow Lily); Nymphsea (White Pond-Lily); Nelumbo 

 (Indian Lotus, so-called Egyptian Lotus, and Water 

 Chinquapin); Victoria regia; and the similar Euryale 

 ferox. The white water-lilies have latterly been called 

 Castalia, but the name Nymphsea as applied to them 

 has good historical standing and is retained in this 

 work; Nuphar is still held for the yellow pond-lilies. 



74. Trochodendraceae (from the genus Trochoden- 

 dron, from the Greek wheel, plus tree). TROCHODEN- 

 DRON FAMILY. Trees or shrubs: leaves alternate or 

 opposite, with oil-glands: flowers bisexual or unisexual, 



21. NYMPH <EACE.:: 1. Nelumbium, fruit. 2. Nymphsea, flower. 

 3. Nuphar, fruit. RANUNCULACE*: _4. Ranunculus, o, flower; 6, 

 fruit. 5. Aquilegia, fruit. 6. Clematis, fruit. 7. Petals of various 

 genera, a, Coptis ; b, Eranthis ; c, Ranunculus; d, Aquilegia; e, 

 Aconitum. 



regular, hypogynous or perigynous; sepals and petals 

 wanting; stamens numerous, spirally arranged; car- 

 pels separate, sometimes half immersed in the recep- 

 tacle, 2 to many in one whorl; ovules 1 to many: fruit a 

 follicle, or indehiscent. 



Only 3 genera and 6 species are known, all of Eastern 

 Asia. The family is closely related to the Magnoli- 

 aceae, in which it has been included by many authors. 

 It has the same spiral structure of the flower, and sepa- 

 rate carpels, but the perianth is wanting. 



Trochodendron is one of the very few angiosperms 

 in which the secondary wood is made up entirely of 

 tracheids with bordered pits, without true vessels, as 

 in the Conifers. 



The family is of little economic value. The wood of 

 some species is used locally. In America, Cercidiphyllum 

 japonicum and Euptelea polyandra are in cultivation 

 as hardy, ornamental woody plants. 



75. Ranunculaceae (from the genus Ranunculus, 

 from the Latin signifying a little frog, because many of 

 these plants are aquatic or marsh plants). BUTTERCUP 

 FAMILY. Fig. 21. Herbs or shrubs of diverse habit low- 

 ers bisexual rarely unisexual, spirally constructed except 

 often the perianth, regular or irregular; sepals 3 to 

 many, usually 5, separate, often petaloid; petals 3 to 



many, or 0, often in the form of honeyglands; stamens 

 usually very numerous, hypogynous; carpels 1 to many, 

 usually separate: fruit an achene or follicle, rarely a 

 capsule or a berry; seeds with endosperm. 



The 27 genera and about 680 species are distributed 

 mainly in the north temperate and subarctic regions. 

 Clematis, Anemone and Delphinium cross the equator 

 southward. The largest genus is Ranunculus. The 

 family is related to the Magnoliacese, Annonaceae, Dil- 

 leniaceao, Nymphaeacea;, and other families with 

 acyclic flowers and numerous carpels. The spiral 

 floral structure, the numerous hypogynous stamens, 

 and the usually separate carpels are the most dis- 

 tinctive characteristics. The Ranunculacese is proba- 

 bly a very old family, and by some authors is thought 

 to represent more closely than others the stock from 

 which the dicotyledons have sprung. 



The floral structure is very interesting and very 

 variable. The petals, when not wanting, are rarely 

 normal. In one series a transition is shown from the 

 staminode-like nectary of Coptis to the petal-like 

 nectary of Ranunculus; in another series the nectar- 

 bearing petals are spurred or variously irregular, as in 

 Aconitum, Delphinium and Aquilegia. In the last 

 two genera, the flowers also have become extremely 

 irregular. The fruits show an equally great diversity. 

 From the primitive follicular type, they have become 

 modified into achenes with a suspended or erect ovule, 

 into a berry, or, in Nigella, even into a several-celled 

 capsule by the fusion of the carpels. The wind-pol- 

 linated Thalictrum shows great reduction and modi- 

 fication on that account. The stalked carpels of Coptis 

 simulate an umbel of separate fruits. Finally the foliage 

 of several species of Ranunculus has become very much 

 dissected on 'account of the aquatic habit, and the 

 plants, therefore, simulate a Myriophyllum. 



The Ranunculacese is divided by Prantl into three 

 tribes as follows: 



Tribe I. Fruit follicular, carpels fleshy, outer seed- 

 coat long, e.g. Psoonia and Hydrastis. 



Tribe II. Fruit usually follicular, carpels rarely fleshy, 

 outer seed-coat not longer than the inner, e.g., Caltha, 

 Helleborus, Coptis, Aetsea, Aquilegia, Delphinium, etc. 



Tribe III. Fruit an achene, e.g., Anemone, Clematis, 

 Ranunculus, Thalictrum, etc. 



The family contains many plants useful to mankind. 

 Many are cultivated for their ornamental flowers. 

 The seeds, leaves and roots contain a bitter acid 

 principle which is very irritating and in many cases 

 poisonous. Because of this, many species of Anemone, 

 Clematis, and so on, have been used to produce blisters, 

 and beggars are said to have made use of C. Vilalba to 

 produce artificial sores and thus excite pity. The 

 roots of Coptis (gold-thread) are bright yellow, and 

 have been used both as bitters and for the dye-stuffs 

 contained. Hydrastis (golden seal) is a well-known 

 tonic and stomach corrective. Aconite is a powerful 

 narcotic drug much used to allay fever. Slow cooking 

 usually dissipates the poisonous properties of the Ran- 

 uncuiacese, thus enabling the vegetative portion in 

 many cases to be eaten as greens. Ranunculus Thora 

 and R. sceleratus were named by the Romans "sar- 

 donia" because they are said to excite convulsive 

 sardonic laughter. 



Two dozen or more genera are in cultivation in 

 America, almost entirely for ornamental purposes. 

 Among these are: Aconitum (Aconite, Monkshood, 

 Wolfsbane); Actaoa (Baneberry, Red and White Co- 

 hosh); Adonis (Pheasant's Eye, Adonis); Anemone 

 (Anemone, Windflower, Patens, Pasque Flower) ; Aqui- 

 legia (Columbine) ; Caltha (Marsh Marigold, American 

 Cowslip); Clematis (Virgin's Bower); Coptis (Gold- 

 thread) ; Delphinium (Larkspur) ; Eranthis (Winter Aco- 

 nite) ; Helleborus (Christmas Rose) ; Hydrastis (Golden 

 Seal, Orange Root); Nigella (Love-in-a-Mist, Deyil-in- 

 a-Bush, Fennel Flower); Paeonia (Peony, Piney); 



