34 RANUNCULACE^l. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 



DIVISION I. POLYPETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS. 



Floral envelopes consisting of both calyx and corolla ; th& 

 petals not united with each other. (Several genera or species 

 belonging to Polypetalous Orders are destitute of petals, or 

 have them more or less united.) 



ORDER 1. RANUNCUlACEJE. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 



Herbs or some woody plants, with a colorless and usually acrid juice, 

 polypetalous, or apetalous with the calyx often colored like a corolla, hypogy* 

 nous ; the sepals, petals, numerous stamens, and many or few (rarely sin- 

 gle) pistils all distinct and unconnected. Flowers regular or irregular. 

 Sepals 3-15. Petals 3-15, or wanting. Stamens indefinite, rarely 

 few. Fruits either dry pods, or seed-like (achenes), or berries. Seeds 

 anatropous (when solitary and suspended the rhaphe dorsal), with hard 

 albumen and a minute embryo. Leaves often dissected, their stalks 

 dilated at the base, sometimes with stipule-like appendages. (A large 

 family, including some acrid-narcotic poisons.) 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



Tribe I. CLEMATIDEJE. Sepals normally 4, petal-like, valvate in the bud, or with 

 the edges bent inward. Petals none, or small. Achenes numerous, tailed with the 

 feathery or hairy styles. Seed suspended. Leaves all opposite. 



1. Clematis. Climbing by the leafstalks, 6r erect herbs. 



Tribe II. ANEMONE^E. Sepals 3-20, often petal-like, imbricated in the bud. Sta- 

 mens mostly numerous. Acheues numerous or several, in a head or spike. Herbs, 

 never climbing ; leaves alternate, or radical, the upper sometimes opposite or whorled. 



# Petals none (rarely some stammodia). Seed suspended. 

 +- All but the lower leaves opposite or whorled Peduncles 1-flowered. 



2. Anemone. Involucre leaf-like, remote from the flower. Leaves compound or dis- 



sected. Pistils very many. 



3. Hepatica. Involucre close to the flower, of 3 oval bracts, calyx-like. Leaves radical, 



simple and lobed. Pistils several 



.4. Anemonella. Stigma terminal, broad and flat. Radical leaves and involucre com- 

 pound. Peduncles umbellate. Achenes 4-15, many-ribbed. 



i- *- Leaves alternate, compound. Flowers panicled, often dioecious. 



5. Thalictrum. Sepals usually 4, petal-like or greenish. Achenes few. 



* * Petals none. Sepals 3-5, caducous. Seed erect. Leaves alternate. 



6. Trautvetteria. Achenes numerous, inflated, 4-angled. Flowers corymbose. Fila- 



ments white, clavate. 



* * * Petals evident. Sepals usually 5. Achenes many. 



7. Adonis. Sepals and petals (5-16, crimson or scarlet) flat, unappendaged. Seed 



suspended. 



8. Myosnrus. Sepals spurred. Petals 5, white. Achenes in a long spike. Scapes 



1-flowered. Seed suspended. 



9. Ranunculus. Petals 5, yellow or white, with a. scale or gland at base. Achenei 



capitate. Seed erect 



