18 RAUNCULACEJE. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 



petals 10 to 14, narrowly obovate; sepals shorter than the petals, reflexed; akenes nearly 

 2 lines long, flat, with sharp edges; beak short and curved; heads compact, ovato or 

 globular. 



This is by far the most common species, and usually the only one collected by begin- 

 ners. It varies greatly. The leaves are sometimes simply three lobed and sometimes 

 much cut up. [/?. Bloomeri, Wat., belongs here. See p. 122.] 



6. R. macranthus, Scheele. Stems stout, 2 to 5 ft. high; flowers 14 to 18 lines in 

 diameter; petals commonly 5 or 6, broadly obovate, shining yellow. 



3. Akenes rough; otherwise as in 2. 



7. R. laebecarpus, Hook. & Arn. Rather slender, more or less hairy; flowers 

 minute; petals 5, not more than a line long; sepals hairy, about equaling the petals. 



8. R. muricatus, L. Smooth; flowers 5 or more lines in diameter; akenes large 

 and rough, with recurved beaks. Introduced from Europe. 



4. AQUILEGIA, Tourn. COLUMBINE. 



Sepals 5, regular, colored and petal-like; petals 5, produced backward (upward) into a 

 long tubular spur; stamens numerous, exserted, the inner ones reduced to thin scales; 

 pistils 5; styles slender. Flowers nodding, showy, terminating the branches. 



1. A. truncata, Fisch. & Mey. Stems 1 to 3 ft. high; flowers usually red, tinged 

 with orange or yelJow; leaves usually ternately compound, leaflets lobed. 



5. DELPHINIUM, Tourn. LARKSPUR. 



Sepals 5, colored and petal-like, very irregular, the upper one prolonged backwards at 

 the base into a long spur, which (in our species) contains spur-like prolongations of the 

 upper pair of petals. Petals 4, small and irregular. Stamens many. Pistils 1 to 5. Erect 

 herbs, with palmately-cleft, lobed, or dissected leaves, and racemose flowers. 



1. D. simplex, Dougl. Canescent throughout, with a fine, short, somewhat woolly 

 pubescence, rarely smooth; stem stout and strict, 1 to 3 ft. high, leafy; leaves all much 

 dissected with linear obtuse lobes, on stout, erect petioles; racemes usually dense and 

 many-flowered, the pedicels often short and nearly erect; flowers small, blue, varying to 

 nearly white or yellowish; sepals 4 or 5 lines long, about equaling the stout, straight 

 spur; ovaries and capsule pubescent. 



2. D. variegatum, Torr. & Gr. Foliage similar to the last, but the flowers much 

 larger, on longer pedicels, forming a short, open raceme; ovary and capsule pubescent. 



3. D. decorum. Fisch. & May. Lower leaves 5-lobed, sparingly toothed, the uppei 

 with narrow divisions. Flowers similar to the last, but the spur is usually longer, and 

 the ovary aud capsule smooth. 



4. D. Californicum, Torr. & Gr. Stems stout. 2 to 7 ft. high; leaves large. 3 to 



