j^2 RANUNCULACE.E. Ddijhiuiuia. 



* * Flowers red. 



8. D. nudicaule, Ton-. & Gray. Smooth or slightly villous : stem | to 2 feet 

 hi.rh Of iiiuic : Iciivos mostly near tlio base of the stiun, 1 to 3 inches in diam- 

 eter, 3 - 5-lubeil, the lobes more or less deeply 3-7-tuutl)ed with broad obtuse 

 mueronulate segments: llowui's 1 to 1 ^ inches long, including thu stniiglit simr, 

 Avhich is longer tluui the sepals, usually light scarlet with more or less of orange ] 

 sepals but little si)reading ; petals usually eiliate or somewhat villous : carpels 

 pubescent or smooth. — h\ i. 33 & GGl j Hook. Hot. Mag. t. 58113. 



Var, elatius, Thompson. The taller form with more leafy stems, the flowers 

 with rather longer and more slender si)urs than in the typical statu. — Garden, iii. 

 477. D. savcophyllum, Hook, k Arn. liot. lieechey, 317. 



In the Coast Ranges honi Memlociuo Co. to Sau Francisco ; Plumas Co., Mm. Palsifcr Ames. 



9. D. cardinale. Hook. Tall and stout, nearly glabrous: leaves large, 5-7- 

 lobed nearly to the base, the divisions deeply 3 - 5-cleft with narrow long-acumi- 

 nate segments : llowers as in the last, but larger and more open, bright scarlet 

 with yellow centre, petals somewhat hairy : carpels smooth. — Bot. Mag. t. 4887 ; 

 Torroy, Bot. Mex. Bound. 30, t. 2. V. cocciueuia, Torrey, Tacif. it. Kep. iv. 02. 



Apparently conlined to the mountains of S. California ; Los Angolus ( Wallace) to Sun Diego. 



10. ACONITUM, 'I'ourn. MoNKsiioon. 



Sepals 5, colored and i)etaMike, very irregular ; the upper one arched into a hood or 

 helmet. Petals 2 to 5 ; the upper 2 with long claws and irregular spur-like hlades 

 concealed within the hood ; the lower 3 either very minute or ohsolete. Pistils 

 3 to 5. Fruit of 3 to 5 dehiscent, many-seeded follicles. — Herbs with palmately- 

 lobed leaves. 



Species 18, mostly belonging to tlie mountains of tliu Northern Hemisplierc. Some (all ?) of 

 them are poisonous. 



1. A. Fischeri, Peichenh. Leaves palmately 3 - 5-cleft ; the divisions broadly 

 cuneated, and laeiniately toothed or cut into acute lobes : llowers in a loose terminal 

 raceme, often somewhat panicled : follicles usually 3. — Jll. Sp. Aconiti Gen. fol. 

 i. 22. -A. nasutuvi, Hook. PI. Bor.-Am. i. 26. A. Culumbianum, Nutt. ; Torr. 

 & Gray, Fl. i. 34. 



Moist places in tlic Coast Ranges north of Clear Lake, the Sierra Nevada at 4 to 8,000 feet ; 

 also llie Rocky Mountains, Alasiia, KanUschatka, ami Siberia. Stems smooth IpcIow and eillier 

 smooth or wil'ii sli(»it |iiilK'si'cnc.^ almve. Leave W lo 5 inches in diameter. Spiciin.iis fium nciir 

 the coast are iilentieai with ihe Sihciiiin plant, tlic steins V! to \S lift high. Homeliiiirs w.'mL at llio 

 base, either smooth or sparingly pubescent above, the llowers blue or purple. In the Sierra 

 Nevada and eastward a larger form occurs, 3 to G feet high, more pubesc(;nl ahove, the sejjals 

 larger and pale blue or white, and the petals smaller. Hather rare. 



11. ACT^A, Linn. U.\Ni.;uiiniiv. 



Sepals 4 to 6, nearly equal, petal-like, falling off early. Petals 4 to 10, snudl. 

 Stamens numerous. Pistils single ; stigma sessile, 2-lobed. Fruit a )uany seeded 

 berry. Seeds smooth, llattened, jiacked horizontally in 2 rows. — Perennial herbs, 

 with 2 - 3-ternately compound leaves. Koot usually tuberous or thickened. Flowers 

 in a ternunal short racenu;. 



Species jun-haps 2, belonging to the eoul.'r n^gions ut llu: Norlliern Hemisphere. 



1. A. spicata, Liun., var. arguta, Torr. Kruit either white or red, in a loose 

 more elongated rueenie. — A. arguta, Xutt. ; Torr. & Gray, Fl. i. 35. 



Shady ravines of the Coast Ranges north of San Francisco. Rare in this State, but a widely 

 spread species, extending north to Alaska, east to New England and Camida ; also to Japan; 

 Siberia, and Northern Europe. A smooth herb with graceful habit, 1 to 2 feet high. The stem 



