86 



RANUNCULACEAE. 



[Vol.. II. 



26. OX YGR APHIS Bunge, Verz. Suppl. Fl. Alt. 46. 1836. 



Perennial herbs, with crenate dentate or lobed long-petioled leaves, and small yellow 

 flowers, solitary or 2-7 together on scapes or scape-like peduncles. Sepals usually 5, spread- 

 ing, tardily deciduous. Petals 5-12, each bearing a small nectar-pit near the base. Stamens 

 and pistils numerous. Head of fruit oblong, oval or subglobose. Achenes compressed, 

 sometimes swollen, longitudinally striate, without a hard coat. [Greek, sharp-style.] 



About 10 species, the following of North America, Asia and southern South America, the others 

 Asiatic. 



i. Oxygraphis Cymbalaria (Pursh) Prantl. 

 Seaside Crowfoot. (Fig. 1631.) 



Ranunculus Cymbalaria Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 392. 1814. 

 Oxygraphis Cymbalaria Prantl, in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pfl. 



Fam. 3: Abt. 2, 63. 1891. 



Cvrtorhyncha Cymbalaria Britton, Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 161. 

 "1894. 



Low, glabrous, spreading by runners. Leaves mostly 

 basal, slender-petioled, the blade cordate-oval or reni- 

 fonn, crenate, a"-/' long; flowers 1-7, about $"-4," 

 broad, borne on scapes i'-6' long, these sometimes bear- 

 ing one or more leaves toward the base; head of fruit ob- 

 long, 3 // -8' / long; achenes compressed, somewhat swol- 

 len, distinctly striate, minutely sharp-pointed. 



On sandy shores, Labrador to New Jersey, west along the 

 St. I,awrence River and the Great Lakes to Minnesota and the 

 Northwest Territory, and in saline soil throughout the western 

 half of the continent, extending into Mr\io>. Plant sumr- 

 what fleshy. Also in Asia and South America. The so-called 

 var. alpina is a small northern form. Summer. 



27. THALICTRUM L. Sp. PI. 545. 1753. 



Erect perennial herbs. Leaves ternately decompound, basal and cauline, the latter al- 

 ternate. Flowers perfect, polygamous or dioecious, generally small, greenish-white, panicled 

 or racemed. Sepals 4 or 5. Petals none. Carpels commonly few, one-seeded, ribbed or 

 nerved, stipitate or nearly sessile. Stamens ao , exserted. [Derivation doubtful.] 



A genus of about 75 species, most abundant in the north temperate zone, a f< w in the Andes of 

 South America, India and South Africa. In addition to the species described below, about 8 others 

 are North American, natives of the Southern States, the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast. 



Flowers perfect. 



Stem simple, scape-like; achenes sessile; filaments slender. 

 Stem branched, leafy; achenes long-stipitate ; filaments petal-like. 

 Flowers dioecious or polygamous 



Filaments filiform or slender, not wider than the anthers. 

 Flowers strictly dioecious. 



Achenes terete; eastern species. 



Leaflets thin, orbicular or broader; roots not yellow. 

 Leaflets thick, obovate or reniform; roots bright yellow. 

 Achenes 2-edged; western species. 



Flowers polygamous; leaflets usually glandular, or waxy. 

 Filaments spatulate, often wider than the anthers; plant not glandular. 



1. T. alpinum. 



2. T. clavatum. 



3. T. dioicuni. 



4. T. coriaceiim. 



5. T. venulosum. 



6. T. purpurascens. 

 T. polygamum. 



i. Thalictrum alpinum L. Arctic or Dwarf 

 Meadow-Rue. (Fig. 1632.) 



Thalictrum alpinum L. Sp. PI. 545. 1753. 



Smooth or slightly glandular, I'-ia' high. Leaves 

 small, tufted at the summits of scaly rootstocks, biter- 

 nate; the scapiform stem leafless or i-leaved near the 

 base; leaflets cuneate-obovate or orbicular, firm, 3-5- 

 lobed at the apex, margins revolute; panicle very sim- 

 ple, often racemose; flowers perfect; stamens about 

 10; filaments filiform, about equalling the sepals; an- 

 thers oblong-linear, mucronate; stigma linear; achenes 

 \W long, obliquely obovoid. 



Anticosti, Newfoundland and arctic America generally. 

 Also in the Rocky Mountains, and in Europe and Asia. 

 Summer. 



