KAN UxNCU l-ACE.D. (Jltinali 



OuDEii 1. RANUNCULACE^. 



Herbaceous i)r soniDwlmt slmibhy i)lants, with colorless and usually acrid juice; 

 distinjfuishud l)y Llie itolyundrous and often pulygyinnis llowers ; the numerous «ta- 

 luens hypogynous (perigynous in Urossosoin'i) ; the sepals, petals, stamens, and few 

 or numerous (in Acttta solitary) pistils all ilistinct and free. Sepals very commonly 

 colored and pekdoid. I'etals iii many wanting or in the form of nectaries. Anthers 

 short. Seeds solitar}'' or several, with miimte embryo in linn-lleshy albumen. — 

 Foliage various : stipules none. , 



An Older of ;J1 giuiiMii, several of whidi nro numerous in species, widely distributed over the 

 world, but most liiri,'ely reiiresonted in the northern tenii)enito and frigid zones. Several are used 

 in medicine ; some (like Aconite) are acrid poisons ; and many are cultivated for ornament. 



Uur thirteen genera belong to six tribes, wiiich need not be recapitulated, as their characters 

 may be more easily apprehended fiom a simple key. 



Synopsis of (ileuera, 



» Sepals petaldike, valvate-induplicate in the bud, deciduous : leaves all opposite. 



1. Clematis. Half- woody, climbing by the petioles. Petals none or minute. Fruit a head of 



hairy-tailed akenes. 



♦ ♦ Sepals petaldiko or .sometimes greeni.sli, imliricated in the bud, deciduous: herbs. 



-{- Carpels numerous, 1-ovuled, in fruit lieconung akenes. 



+ f Leaves on the stem oiijKisite or wliorled on or below 1-flowered peduncles. 



2. Anemone. Seiials 4 to 20, petal-like. I'etals none. Akenes hi a head. 



++ ++ Leaves all alternate. 



3. Thalictrum. Kiowcrs mostly diiucious, paniided. I'etals none. Akenes several in a head. 

 1. Myosurus. Flowers perfe(tt, solitary on a .sea pe. Sepals spurred at base. Petals slender. 



.\k. MI'S very numerous in a long sli^iuler spike. 



5. Rauunculus. Kiowers jierfeet. Sepals m-t spurred. Petals generally broad and consjiie- 



nous (rarely minute). Akenes nuim.roua in a globular or oblong head. 



+■ -t- Carpels few, .several-ovuled, becoming I'ollie.les (pods) in fruit. 

 ++ Flowers legular. 



6. Caltha. Petals none : leaves simple and round-reiiiform : carpels 5 to 12. 



7. Isopyrum. Petals none : leaves ternately com pound : carpels 3 to 6. 



8. Aquilegia. Petals 5, all spurred backward : leaves ternately compound : carpels 5. 



+<•+*• Flowers irregidar. 

 y. Delphinium. Upper sepal produced backward into a spur : carpels 1 to 5. 



10. Aconitum. Upper sepal arched into a hoo.l : carpels 3 to 5. 



-f- ■*- -*- Carpel one, many-ovuled, in fruit a berry. 



11. Actaea. Sepals caducous : petals small. Leaves ternately compound. Raceme short. 



» ♦ ♦ Sepals lierbaceous, imbricated in the bml, i)ersistent : petals conspicuous : carpels few, 

 becoming many-seeded lollieles in fjuit : leaves alternate. 



12. Paeonia. Herbs, with compound leaves. Seeds not arillate. 



13. Crossosoma. Siuubs, with simple entire leaves. Seeds arillate. Stamens pcrigynou.s. 



1. CLEMATIS, Linn. 

 Sepals -1 (sometimes nniru in foreign species), colored nud iietal-liko, valvato in 

 the bud. Petals none or small. Pistils numerous : styles persistent, and (in our 

 species) becoming long feathery awns in fruit. Akenes numerous, in a head. — 

 Ilalf-woody climbers or perennial herbs, with oppo.site leaves. 



A genus of alwut 100 species, belonging to temperate and warm climates of both hemispheres. 

 Many have mucli beauty, and a few are cultivated lor ornament. Our species are long, woody (or 

 halt-woo.ly) vines, climbing by the ])etioles, with compound leaves and showy flowers. 



