32 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



whito flowers, is tinnvn in aquaria: Brasonia (U'ator 

 ShioKl) is (iniwn in a(iualic i;anlt'iis. as aro also various 

 species of Nuphar iVellow Watcr-I.ily, Siiattcrdock, 

 Cow l.ily); Nynipha-a |,\\luti> roMil-l.ily) ; Xihunho 

 (Indisui lx)tus, si>-o;UltHl Eg\ptian Lotus, ami Wator 

 Chinquapin): Victoria nujia: and the similar Euri/olc 

 fcroi. The white water-lilies have latterly been called 

 Civstalia, but the n;une Xyniphaw tis applied to them 

 has pood historical standing and is retained in this 

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



74. Trochodendracese (from the genus Trorliodoi- 

 Jroii. from the (irivk iiincl, plus lire). Tuocudoen- 

 DRON rAMii.v. Trees or shrubs: leaves alternate or 

 opposite, with oil-glands: flowers bisexual or uni.sexual, 



21. NvMPH.EACE«: 1. Nelumbiujn, fruit. 2. Nymphtea, flower. 

 3. Nuphar. fr\lit. R.\nuscclace.e; 4. R,inunculus, a, flower; 6, 

 fruit. 5. .\nutlcKiu. fruit. G. Clematis, fruit. 7. Petals of various 

 genera, a, Coptis ; b, Eranthis ; c, Ranunculu.s; tl, Aquilegia; e, 

 AcoDitum. 



regular, h>'pogynous 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 indehiseent. 



Only 3 genera an<l species are known, all of Eastern 

 Asia. The family is closely relatefl to the Magnoli- 

 acete, in which it hiis 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 .s<;condary wood is made up entirely of 

 tracheifis with bordered pits, without true vessels, as 

 in the Conifers;. 



The family is of little economic value. The wood of 

 some specify is u-Sfwl locally. In America, Cercidiphyllurn 

 jnjKmirum and EupUlea polynndra are in cultivation 

 as hardy, ornamental woody plants. 



7.3, Ranunculaceae (^from the genus Ranuncuhia, 

 from the Latin signifying a little frog, becau.se many of 

 th<*«; plants are aquatic or marsh plants). iliiTTKHftri' 

 Family. P"ig. 21 . Herbs or shrubs of diverse habit ; flow- 

 ers bisexual rarely unisexual, spirally constructed <!xeept 

 often the p<rrianth, regular or irregular; sej)als U to 

 many, lisually 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 sejiarate: fruit an ai'liene or follicle, rarely a 

 capsule or a berry; seeds with endosperm. 



The '1~ genera and about tiSO species are distributed 

 mainly in the north temperate and subarctic regions. 

 Clematis, .Vnemone and Delphinium cross the equator 

 .southward. The largest genus is Ranunculus. The 

 family is related to the Magnoliaceie, Annonacesc, Dil- 

 leniaeea>, Nympha'aceic, 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- 

 tin(;tiv(^ characteristics. The Ranunculacea; is proba- 

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

 to rejjresent more closely than others the stock from 

 which the dicotyledons have sprung. 



Tlic floral structure is very interesting and very 

 \ariable. The petals, when not wanting, are rarely 

 Miirmal. 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. 

 I'rom 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 Ranunculacea; is divided by Prantl into three 

 tribes as follows: 



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

 coat long, e.g. Pi^jonia and Hydrastis. 



Tribe II. Fruit usually follicular, carpels rarely fleshy, 

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

 Helleborus, Coptis, Actica, 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. Vitnlba 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- 

 uncul.aceie, thus enabling the vegetative portion in 

 many cases to be eaten as greens. Ranunculus Thora 

 a.ni\ R. sceleralus were named by the Romans "sar- 

 donia" because they are said to excite convulsive 

 sardonic laughter. ... 



Two dozen or more genera ar.' in cultivation in 

 America, almost entirely for ornamental purposes. 

 Among these are: Aconitum (Aconite, Monkshood, 

 Wolfsbane); Actxa (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); Ilelleborus (Christmas Rose); Hydrastis (Golden 

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

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



