RANUNCULACE.E. 1 



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Order I. RANUNCULACE^E. 



By a. Gray. 



[Descriptions of species and varieties of recent publication, which have been inserted, a.s well as 

 those modified by the editor, in the light of literature and collections suVisequent to the preiiaratioii 

 of the original manuscript, are market 1 by asterisks (*).] 



Herbs, or some woody plants, with acrid colorless juice. All the parts of tlic 

 flower distinct and free (hypogynous, except Pceoniece), with carpels not uncom- 

 monly and stamens mostly indefinitely numerous, even the sepals or petals some- 

 times more than the normal four or five, the former very often petaloid, the 

 latter in a large majority of the genera either wanting or rudimentary or con- 

 verted into nectaries. Anthers continuous with the filament. Ovules solitary or 

 several, anatropous. No disk nor arillus except in the last tribe. Seeds con- 

 taining a hard albumen, with a minute or small embryo at its base : cotyle- 

 dons usually very short. Base of petiole commonly dilated and thin, often 

 stipule-like. 



Tribe I. CLEMATIDE^E. Sepals (normally 4) valvate in the bud, the margins 

 often induplicate. Petals none or small, transitional into stamens. Stamens 

 numerous, with adnaLe anthers. Carpels numerous in a head, long-styled, in fruit 

 akenes. Seed suspended : rhaphe dorsal. Herbs, or when cliiuV>ing often woody, 

 with leaves all opposite ! 



1 . CLEMATIS. Essentially the only genus. 



Tribe II. ANEMONEiE. Sepals few or numerous (3 or 4 to 20), imbricated in 

 the bud, petaloid, or at least not green. Stamens for the most part indefinitely 

 numerotis. Carpels numerous, or occasionally few, capitate or spicate, one-ovuled, 

 in fruit akenes or utricles. Herbs, with alternate leaves, or with uppermost 

 opposite or whorled, never climbing. {AnemonecB and Ranunculem of authors.) 

 * Petals none, rarely some petaloid sterile stamens (staminodes) : ovule and seed suspended : 



rhaphe dorsal. 

 -1— Cauline or involucral leaves opposite or whorled : peduncles solitary or umbellate, one- 

 flowered : sepals petaloid : fruit of true akenes. 



2. ANEMONE. Stigma introrse-unilateral from the .<!nmmit of the subulate or filiform 

 style. Leaves compound or dissected ; cauline ones or involucre distant from the flower. 



3. HEPATICA Stigma introrse-unilateral on the short subulate style. Involucre close to 

 the flower aud simulating a trisepalous calyx . true leaves only radical and simply lobed. 



4. ANEMONELLA. Stigma strictly terminal, broad and depressed, at flowering time 

 subsessile. Akenes terete, angulate-costate, 4 to 1."), on a small receptacle. Radical le.aves 

 and involucre compound, the latter subtending an umbel of flowers. 



-»— -I— All the leaves alternate, none involucral • inflorescence ]>aiiiculate, cymo.se, or racomo.sc : 

 flowers more commonly unisexual : akenes sometimes ntricnlar. 



5. THALICTRUM. Sepals completely or incompletely petaloid. Akenes not very mi- 

 merou.^^, .sometimes few . receptacle small. Stigma unilateral on the style or sessile aiul 

 elongated. 



* * Petals none : sepals petaloid, caducous : ovule and seed a.scending from near bH.«se of 

 the cell : rhaphe ventral : akenes utricular : leaves all alternate. 



6. TRAUTVETTERIA. Sepals 3 to .5, broad, concave, imbricated in the bud. Stamens 

 nuHK^rons . filatinMis rl:iv:ilp initlifis didvinous, pointless. Utricuhu akenes 20 or more, 



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