84 KEY AND FLORA 



2. Petals none, or very small and stamen-like. 



(a) Sepals yellow. Caltha, VIII 



(b) Sepals greenish or white, falling as the flower opens. 



Thalictrnm, II 



(c) Sei:>als white or colored, involucre sepal-like. Hepatica, IV 



(d) Sepals 4. Plants climbing. Clematis, VI 



(e) Sepals 5, white. Flowers axillary and terminal. Pods 



2 -several -seeded. Isopp'um, VII 



(/) Sepals white or colored. Plants not climbing. Akenes more 



or less tailed with the styles in fruit. Anemone, V 



(g) Sepals 5-10, white. Flowers in an umbel. Roots tuberous. 



Anemonella, III 



I. RANUNCULUS L. 



Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves alternate, usually deeply 

 lobed or parted. Flowers axillary or in corymbs, white or 

 yellow. Sepals 3-5. Petals 3-5, flat, with a small pit or scale 

 inside at the narrowed base. Stamens usually numerous. 

 Pistils few or several in a head. Akenes flattened, pointed.* 



1. R. pusillus Poir. Low Spearwort. Perennial. Stems several, 

 erect or ascending, branched, smooth, 6-15 in. high. Leaves entire or 

 slightly toothed, the lower round or cordate, long-petioled, the upper 

 lanceolate or elliptical, nearly or quite sessile. Flowers very small, 

 about J in. wide, yellow. Petals 1-5, as long as the sepals. Stamens 

 3-10. Akenes smooth, with a very short point. On muddy banks.* 



2. R. abortivus L. Small-Flowered Crowfoot. Perennial. 

 Stems smooth, branching, 12-18 in. high. Basal leaves round-cor- 

 date, crenate, petioled. Stem leaves 3-5-parted, with wedge-shaped 

 or linear divisions, sessile. Flowers very small, pale yellow. Sepals 

 reflexed, longer than the petals. Akenes in a globose head, smooth, 

 without a beak. Common on wet ground and waste places.* 



3. R. recurvatus Poir. Hooked Crowfoot. Perennial. Stem 

 erect, hairy, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves all nearly alike, petioled, 3-5-lobed, 

 with the lobes wedge-shaped, cut or toothed at the apex. Flowers 

 small, pale yellow. Petals minute, shorter than the reflexed sepals. 

 Akenes in a globular head, smooth, with a slender, recurved beak. 

 On low ground.* 



4. R. fascicularis Muhl. Tufted Buttercup. Perennial. Stems 

 clustered from thickened fibrous roots, ascending, 5-9 in. high, cov- 

 ered with close-lying silky hairs. Leaves 3-5-divided, the divisions 



