GENUS 18. 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



103 



18. MYOSURUS L. Sp. PI. 284. 1753. 



Diminutive annual herbs, with fibrous roots, tufted, basal linear or linear-spatulate, 

 entire leaves and i-flowered scapes. Sepals 5 (rarely 6-7), long-spurred at the base. Petals 

 the same number or none, when present greenish-yellow, narrow, the claw bearing a nec- 

 tariferous pit at the summit, the limb spreading. Stamens 5-25, about equalling the sepals. 

 Pistils numerous, borne on a central axis, which becomes greatly elongated in fruit. Ovule 

 uspended. Achenes apiculate or aristate. [Greek, mouse-tail.] 



I 



A genus of insignificant plants of local but wide geographic distribution, consisting of the 

 species here figured and about 4 others found in west America and Australia. Type species : 

 Myosurus minimus L. 



i. Myosurus minimus L. Mouse-tail. Fig. 1893. 



Myosurus minimus L. Sp. PI. 284. 1753. 



Myosurus Shortii Raf. Am. Journ. Sci. i : 379. 1819. 



Myosurus minimus var. Shortii Huth, Engler's Bot. Jahrb. 16 : 

 284. 1893. 



Low, glabrous, i'-6' high, the scape at length surpassing U 

 the leaves and the elongated receptacle attaining the \ 

 length of i '-2'. Leaves all basal, 2'-^' long, narrowly ^ 



petals present, small ; achenes 



spatulate to linear, blunt ; 

 glabrous, apiculate. 



In moist places, southern Ontario to British Columbia, Indi- 

 ana, Virginia, Florida, Texas and New Mexico. Reported from 

 the Pacific Coast. Also in central Europe. At Norfolk, Va., 

 the plant seems to have been introduced. Little mouse-tail. 

 Blood-strange. April-July. 



i 



19. TRAUTVETTERIA F. & M. Ind. Sem. Petr. i : 22. 1834. 



Tall erect perennial herbs, with large palmately-lobed leaves, those of the stem distant. 

 Sepals 3-5, concave, caducous. Petals none. Carpels o, i-ovuled. Achenes capitate, 

 sharply angular, inflated, tipped with the minute styles. .Embryo large. Flowers small, 

 white, corymbosely paniculate. [In honor of Prof. Trautvetter, a Russian botanist.] 



A monotypic genus of North America and eastern Asia. 



i. Trautvetteria carolinensis (Walt.) Vail. 

 False Bugbane. Fig. 1894. 



Hydraslis carolinensis Walt. Fl. Car. 156. 1788. 

 Cimicifuga palmata Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1:316. 1803. 

 Trautvetteria palmata F. & M. Ind. Sem. Petr. i : 22. 



1834- 

 Trautvetteria carolinensis Vail, Mem. Torr. Club 2 : 



42. 1890. 



T. applanata Greene, Leaflets 2: 191. 1912. 



Stout, 2-3 high, branching, nearly glabrous, 

 except the lower surfaces of the leaves. Basal 

 leaves long-petioled, 6'-8' broad, 4'-$' long, deeply 

 5-ii-lobed, the lobes acute and sharply dentate; 

 panicle ample, the flowers 3"-6" broad, borne in 

 cymose clusters at the ends of its branches; fila- 

 ments slender, slightly widened ; anthers oblong. 



Southwestern Pennsylvania to the mountains of 

 Virginia and Kentucky, south to Florida, west to 

 Indiana and Missouri. Ascends to 6000 ft. in North 

 Carolina. June-July. 



