RANUNCULACE^. 



21 



without the petals or nectaries (fig. 38) ; this is the only distinouish- 

 ing feature of Calathodes^ a perennial herb of the eastern Himalayas. 



.1, 



Trollius chinensis. 

 Fig. 37. 

 Flower. 



m^ 



Calathodes palmala. 

 Fig. 38. 

 Flower. 



Caltha; too, has the apetalous flowers of Calathodes. Its perianth 

 consists of only five' petaloid sepals of quincuncial aestivation 

 (fig. 39). It has very numerous stamens with basifixed two-celled 



?%)>ii,/. 



Caltha palustris. FiG. 40. 



Longitudinal sectiou of Hower. 



extrorse anthers, and indefinite multiovulate carpels. It is therefore 

 simply a Trollius without the corolla or whorl of nectaries. The 

 organs of vegetation alone are affected by the medium the plants 

 inhabit, for they are aquatic, sometimes floating,' perennial herbs. 



1 C. palmata (Hook. & Th., Fl. Ind., i. 40. — 

 Walp., Ann., iv. 29.— B. & H., Gen., 7, n. 14.— 

 H. By., Adansonia, iv. 48) has the habit of a 

 Trollius, with the flowers of a Caltha. The flowers 

 have four or five imbricated sepals, unequal sta- 

 mens with anthers dehiscing laterally (a little 

 extrorse), and a very variable number of carpels. 



- Caltha L., Gen., n. 703.— Jrss., Gen., 234. 



— Pees., i:nc/(i>., ii. 107. — DC, Prorfr., i. 44 



Endi., Gen., n. 4786. — Spach, Suit, a Bttff., 

 vii. 293. — B. H., Gen., 6, n. 13. — H. Ex., Adan- 

 sonia, iv. 48. 



' Their number is often greater, rarely re- 



duced to four. They persist in certain species, 

 but are caducous in Psycrophila. When there 

 are five, their activation is usually quin- 

 cuncial, but they may be otherwise imbricated. 

 The flower often becomes double in C. pa- 

 lustris (T,, Inst., 273, t. 24). The stamens 

 are then converted into small imbricated petals, 

 while the receptacle is often deformed (Adan- 

 sonia, iv. 5), and becomes concave, as in the 

 Paionies. 



•* C. natans Pall., Toy., ed. min., iii. 248. — 

 DC, Prodr., i. 45, n. 11.— Thacla ficarioides 

 Spacu, Suit, a Bvff., vii. 295. 



