THE RUE ANEMONE. 



59 



The Inflorescence is terminal. The leaves around it 

 may be regarded as forming its involucre. Several pedicels, 



each bearing a flower, 

 arise from a common 

 point in the midst of 

 the leaves. Such an 

 arrangement is called 

 an umbel (umbella, a 

 little shadow), and 

 the pedicels are the 

 rays of the umbel. 



The Flowers re- 

 peat the apetalous 

 habit of Hepatica. 

 There is a single 

 whorl of envelopes 

 the calyx, composed 

 of 5 to 10 distinct, 

 elliptical sepals of 

 dazzling white. There 

 is a crowd of stamens, 

 with side-opening an- 

 thers, perfectly dis- 

 tinct and free; and in 

 their midst appear 

 the 6-10 distinct pis- 

 tils. The close ob- 

 server will miss the 

 nectaries. * Neither 



FIG. XI Anemdne thalictroides : 1, a stamen; 

 2, section of flower ; 3, fruit. 



* The Ranunculacese offer very remarkable differences in the manner of their 

 adaptation to insects. Honey is secreted by the petals in Ranunculus, Hellebore, 

 Larkspur and Columbine ; by the sepals in certain Pseoiiies, by the stamens in Pulsa- 

 tilla, and by the ovaries in Cowslip, while it is entirely absent in Anemone, Hepatica, 

 and Thalictrum. The flower is made conspicuous by the corolla in Ranunculus, by 

 the calyx in Anemone, by both in Larkspur, and by the stamens in Thalictrum. The 



