RANUNCULACEM. 59 



Their subterranean stems are rhizomes analogous to those ul' the 

 Hellebores. The aerial branches bear alternate leaves like those of 

 Thalictrum, slightly sheathing at the base, and either pluripin- 

 nate/ simply digitate, or even hardly at all lobed in certain 

 Japanese species such as A. acerina: The inflorescence is termi- 

 nal, consisting of more or less elongated simple or compound 

 racemes ; this last character varying in the same species, and even 

 on the same stem. The flowers are nearly always solitary in the 

 axils of the alternate bracts, but may be here and there accompanied 

 by a lateral bud. Towards the summit of the inflorescence the number 

 of stamens may be greatly diminished, and the gynseceum abort, as 

 in the preceding genera; so that some plants oi Actaa are poly- 

 gamous. 



Thus constituted,^ the genus Actcea, whose relations with Uanwi- 

 cidus through Trautvetteria, and with the Columbines through 

 XanthorJiiza are recognised by every one, has also been placed near the 

 Pseonies by several authors, on account of its multiovulate ovaries, 

 and the form of its leaves. 



IV. P^ONY SEEIES. 



While all the Rammculacea we have as yet studied have convex 

 receptacles to their flowers, so that the leaves of the perianth and the 

 stamens have a hypogynous insertion, in the Pajonies^ the floral re- 

 ceptacle becomes slightly concave, so as to forma kind of cup, 

 the base of which supports the carpels, the calyx, corolla, and 

 stamens are inserted perigynously on its sides. The flowers are 

 hermaphrodite and regular. If we examine one of P. alhijlora Pall. 

 (fig. 110), we see that the peduncle, dilated above into a fairly deep 

 receptacular cup, bears on its rim a calyx often'' formed of five free 



^ As much as four or five times divided in ^. - , ( or several dry carpels. Seeds 



racemosa, spicata, &c. j, ' | bristly. 



2 Pityrosperma Sieb. & ZdCC. [Act. Math. . ' , •< 4. Cimicifuga L. Actiiiospora 8. i'^ 



Phi/s. Monac, iii. 743, t. 3). Here they are some- / / 7 1 Zucc). Several dry carpels. 



times even simple. In other respects these plants ^ '' V Seeds bristly. 



are inseparable from Macrotys, of which they ■* Pceonia T., Inst., 273, t. 145. — L., Oen., 11. 



possess the perianth, the gynaceum, and usually 078. — Juss., Oen., 234.— DC, Prodi:, i. 65.- 



the unicarpellary ovary. But some flowers of Si'ACii, Suit, a Puff'., vii. 391. — Kni>i.., Geti., n. 



Pityrosperma have certainly several carpels. 4804. — B. H., Oen., 10, n. 30. — H. Bn., Adnn- 



^ II. Christophoriana T. One fleshy «o«ia, iii. 45 ; iv. 56. 

 . carpel. Seeds smooth. * It is in theory alone fliat we ailniif (hiit there 



„ ■ - 2. Botropliis Rafin. One dry carpel. are only five sepals, and consider as Imiets the 



. '^' Seeds smooth. outer a|)pcndages, wliich resemble the foliairr- 



ions . y^ Pityrosperma Sieb. & Zucc. One loaves more or less. (See Admisonia, iv. 3.) 



