E.iNUNCULACEjU. 83 



shrubs, or more rarely under-slirubs or herbs, with opposite leaves 

 simple, or more often ternate or pinnate ; petiole twining or produced 

 into a tendril. Flowers in racemose cymes, more rarely solitary, 

 naked or 2-bracteolate {tempcralc rcf/iotis nearly all over the loorld, more 

 rarely in the Troj)?'cs). See p. 50. 



16. Thalictrum T. — Calyx 4-, more rarely 5 — 10-merous, peta- 

 loid, imbricate, deciduous. Stamens go, all fertile, or more rarely 

 the outermost sterile and petaloid. Anthers dehiscing by sub- 

 lateral clefts, ovaries uniovulate; ovule pendulous, micropyle 

 introrse, superior. Achenes sessile or stipitate, triquetrous or 

 membranous and inflated. Flowers often polygamous by abortion. 

 — Perennial herbs, with alternate ternately compound leaves, often 

 stipellate. Flowers in racemes, or more often racemose cymes 

 {N. Hemisphere of both Worlds, Tropical India, the Cape, S. America). 

 See p. 54. 



17. Actaea L. — Calyx 3 — 6-merous, petaloid, imbricate, deci- 

 duous. Stamens oo, all fertile, or more rarely the outermost sterile 

 and petaloid, Anthers dehiscing by introrse or extrorse clefts. 

 Carpels 1 — gc, multiovulate^ when ripe baccate, or more often dry and 

 dehiscing as follicles. Seeds in two rows, smooth or scaly. Flowers 

 more rarely polygamous by abortion. — Perennial herbs with alter- 

 nate leaves, simple, or more usually ternately compound or decom- 

 pound. Flowers in simple or compound racemes, usually terminal 

 {Fia'ope, Asia, N. America). See p. 56. 



IV. P^ONIE^. 



18. Paeonia T. — Calyx 5 — 6-merous, single or double herbaceous, 

 imbricate, persistent, inserted round the plano-concave receptacle. 

 Petals 5 — 10, forming a single or double corolla, efoveolate, imbri. 

 cate, deciduous. Stamens cc, free, perigynous ; anthers dehiscing 

 by introrse clefts. Disk within the androceum, perigynous, eithei 

 minute and gland-like, or less frequently much more developed 

 sacciform and petaloid covering in the ovaries. Carpels 2 — 6, free, 

 inserted in the bottom of the receptacle multiovulate, when ripe 

 dehiscing as follicles. Seeds furnished with a minute funicular 

 aril at the base. — Perennial herbs, more rarely shrubs or under- 



