66 



2. 



RANUNCULACEAE. 



[VOL. II, 



Hepatica acuta (Pursh) Brit- 

 ton. Sharp-lobed or Heart 

 Liver-leaf. (Fig. 1579.) 



Hepatica triloba var. acuta Pursh, Fl. Am. 

 Sept. 391. 1814. 



Hepatica acutiloba DC. Prodr. i: 22. 1824. 



Hepatica acuta Britton, Ann. X. Y. Acad. 

 Sci. 6: 234. 1891. 



Scapes 4 / ~9 / high.villous. Plant closely 

 resembling the preceding, differing in 

 that the leaf-lobes and those of the invo- 

 lucre are acute or acutish. 



In woods, Quebec and throughout Ontario, 

 south in the Alleghanies to Georgia, but rare 

 or absent near the Atlantic Coast, west to 

 Iowa and Minnesota. Puzzling forms occur 

 which are referable with about equal cer- 

 tainty to the preceding species. The leaf- 

 form of the German plant :s quite intermedi- 

 ate between our Hepatica and acuta. A 

 dioecious tendency of this species has been 

 observed by Prof. Byron D. Halsted at Ames, 

 Iowa. March-April. 



16. SYNDESMON Hoffmg. Flora, 15: Part 2, Intell. Bl. 4, 34. 1832. 



[ANEMONELLA Spach, Hist. Veg. 7: 239. 1839.] 



A glabrous perennial herb from a cluster of tuberous-thickened roots, with basal 2-3-ter- 

 nately compound leaves, those of the involucre similar but sessile, and large terminal um- 

 bellate slender-pedicclled white flowers. Sepals thin, petaloid. Petals none. Stamens all 

 anther-bearing. Achenes terete, deeply grooved; stigma sessile, truncate. [Greek, bound 

 together, the plant uniting many of the characters of Anemone and Thaliclrum.} 

 A monotypic genus of eastern North America. 



i. Syndesmon thalictroides (I,.) Hoffmg. Rue- Anemone. (Fig. 1580.) 



Anemone tltaliclroides L. Sp. PI. 542. 175^. 

 Th alicl i ii HI ijiifinonoidfs Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 



1:322. 1803. 

 SyiuUsmon tltalictroides Hoffmg. Flora, 15: 



I'.ut 2, Intell. HI. 4, 34. 1832. 

 AncnioneUa tlialictroides Spach, Hist. Veg. 7: 



240. 1839. 



Low, glabrous, 4 / ~9 / high, the flowering 

 stem arising in t early spring from the clus- 

 ter of tuberous roots, the ternately-com- 

 pouud basal leaves appearing later and re- 

 sembling those of Thalictrum. Leaves of 

 the involucre similar, sessile, the leaflets 

 long-petioled; sepals 5-10, white or pink- 

 ish, longer than the stamens; flower fa'-i' 

 broad ; flowers perfect, umbellate, im- 

 mediately above the involucre; stigmas de- 

 pressed-truncate, sessile; achenes sessile, 

 pointed, 4 // -6 // long. 



In woods throughout the eastern United 

 States, west to Kansas and Minnesota, spar- 

 ingly in Ontario. Not reported from the 

 maritime provinces of Canada. Leaflets are 

 occasionally borne on the stem below those of 

 the involucre. March-June. 



17. PULSATILLA Adans. Fam. PI. 2: 460. 1763. 



Perennial scapose herbs, with thick rootstocks, basal long-petioled digitately divided 

 leaves, and large purple or white solitary flowers. Involucre remote from the flower, 3- 

 leaved. Sepals petaloid. Petals none. Inner stamens anther-bearing, the outer ones often 

 sterile. Achenes with long persistent plumose styles. [Latin name, unexplained.] 



About 18 species, natives of the north temperate and subarctic zones. Besides the following, 

 another occurs in northwestern North America. 



