44 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



?^ 



distinctions in forming a certain number of sections in the genus 

 Anemone.' The achene itself may be either glabrous, or covered 



with a thick down, which, as 

 in J. virf/iuiaua (figs. 81 and 

 82), envelopes aU the carpels 

 with a kind of fleece, whicli 

 assists in their dispersion.' 



All the Anemones are herbs 

 with perennial subterranean 

 stems, much branched, and 

 known in commerce as 

 "roots" (Fr. jy«//^'*).' These 

 rhizomes give rise to aerial 

 branches, which bear usually 

 alternate leaves, often perfect, 

 the petiole dilated into a 

 sheath below, the blade simple, lobed, or even deeply dissected and 

 compound, which difference may be noticed in passing from one 

 leaf to another on the same plant. The flowers are usually terminal, 

 and often solitary ; but otherwise younger flowers spring from the 

 axils of the upper leaves, forming a sort of cyme with a recurrent 

 inflorescence. Most usually one or several of the uppermost leaves 

 form under the flower an involucre, which may simulate a calycine 

 whorl. Sometimes its elements are independent of one another, and 

 the leaves may even retain their petioles, as in the Wood Anemone, 

 (fig. 79). Sometimes, on the contrary, they become connate, so that 

 the involucre appears single below, while above it is variably divided. 

 Its leaves are sometimes sterile, and sometimes provided witli axillary 

 buds, which expand after the terminal flower.' Usually the involucre 



Anemone virginiana. 

 Fio. 82. 

 Longitudinal section of fruit. 



Fig. 81. 

 Fruit. 



' See p. 42, note 4. 



* De Canuolle makes this the chief chiirac- 

 tcristic of liis section rulmtilloidi's,\\hich includes 

 only species from the Cupc. 



^ On the subterriineiui organs'of most Banun- 

 culaceer (as we have already said), and espi ciiiUy 

 on thoxe of the Anemones, the whole of the 

 remarkahle works of IitMiPCii should he read. 

 What refers to the Anemones was published in 

 the Bolan'mche Ztituni/ (4, .Ian. 11, IHSfi) and 

 translated in the Ann. Sc. Aat. (si'r. l, vi. 

 211). In this work, the author refers to other 

 publications of himself and others on the same 

 subject; he describes the mode of formation of 



the more or less ramified rhizomes of the Ane- 

 mones, e8])eciidly A. coronaria, I'uhatilla, and 

 Jlcpafica. He further shows that the plan of 

 evolution of the subterranean jmrts mi^ht be 

 used to characterise cerUiin cections in the genus 

 Animone ; and hence, refusing to leave A. nemo- 

 roxti and ranunculoidfs in the same group with 

 A. si/lvf\\lrh and baldmxi.s, ho proposes to esta- 

 hlisli a distinct section for these lust, which ho 

 terms J/i/tilectri/on. 



* This is constant in each of the leaves of tho 

 involucre of A. n(irri.\xiflin-a L., which Dk C'an- 

 DOM.K nuikes the type of his section Omatoctirpii*, 

 und of the neighbouring sinrivs, A. fibirira. 



