2 RANUNCULACE^S. [CLEMATIS. 



* Flowers regular. Follicles many-seeded, 



Sepals petaloid. Petals \ 6. Caltha. 



Sepals petaloid, deciduous. Petals small, entire 7. Trollius. 



Sepals herbaceous, persistent. Petals small, 2-lipped 8. Helleborus. 



Sepals petaloid, deciduous. Petals small, 2-lipped 8*. Eranthis. 



Sepals 5-6, petaloid. Petals large, spurred 9. Aquilegia. 



** Flowers irregular. Follicles many-seeded. 



Sepals many, the dorsal spurred 9*. Delphinium. 



Sepals many, the dorsal arched and hooded 10. Aconitum. 



*** Flowers nearly regular. Fruit a berry 11. Actaja. 



1. CliE'MATIS, L. TRAVELLER'S JOY. 



Usually climbing under-shrubs. Leaves opposite, usually compound, 

 exstipulate ; petiole often twining. Inflorescence axillary or terminal ; 

 flowers proterandrous, honeyless. Sepals usually 4, petaloid, imbricate or 

 valvate. Petals 0. Stamens many. Carpels many ; ovule 1, pendulous. 

 Flfait a head of sessile or stalked achenes, with long bearded styles. 

 DISTRIB. All temp, climates, rarer in the tropics ; species 100. ETYM. 

 K\r)fiarls 9 the Greek name for this or a plant of similar habit. 



C. Vital'ba, L. ; leaflets 3-5 remote. Old Man's Beard. 

 Hedges and thickets, from Stafford and Denbigh southd. ; most common on 

 chalky soil ; not a native of Scotland or (?) Ireland ; fl. July- Aug. A 

 climbing under-shrub. Leaflets 2-3 in., ovate-cordate, entire toothed or 

 lobed ; petiole persistent when twining. Flowers 1 in. diam., odorous, 

 greenish-white. Sepals 4, pubescent. Achenes hairy; awns 1 in,, feathery. 

 DISTRIB. Europe, from Holland southd., N. Africa, W. Asia. 



2. THALIC'TRUM, L. MEADOW-RUE. 



Erect perennial herbs. Leaves compound, stipulate. Flowers panicled 

 or racemed, often polygamous, honeyless, proterogynous, anemophilous. 

 Sepals 4-5, petaloid, imbricate in bud. Petals 0. Stamens many. Car- 

 pels few or many ; ovule 1, pendulous. Fruit a small head of sessile or 

 stalked achenes ; style persistent or deciduous. DISTRIB. Temp, and 

 colder regions of the N. hemisphere ; species 50. ETYM. Probably the 

 Thalictrum of Pliny. 



1. T, alpi'num, L. ; raceme simple, flowers few drooping, anthers 

 linear apiculate. 



Alpine and sub-alpine bogs from Shetland to York and Carnarvon ; rare in 

 Ireland ; ascends to 4,000 ft. ; fl. July-Aug. Stem 4-10 in., wiry, simple, 

 often stoloniferous. Leaves 2-ternate ; leaflets to J in., suborbicular, 

 glaucous beneath, obtusely lobulate. Raceme drooping, then erect ; pedicels 

 recurved in fruit. Sepals 4, purplish. Stamens 8-20, pendulous. Achenes 

 2-3. stipitate, curved, ribbed. DISTRIB. N. and Arctic Europe, N. and W. 

 Asia to Himalaya, N. America. 



2. T. mi'nus, L. ; stem more or less striate, panicle lax, flowers 

 drooping, anthers apiculate, fruit erect. 



