148 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



genus Actinolema has been made, the ridges of the fruit are in the 

 form of a dentelate crest, and the habit is very peculiar, the stems 



Astrantia major. 



Fig. 174. Fruit (f). 



Fig. 173. Floriferous branch. 



Fig. 175. Trans, sect, of mericarp. 



Astrantia {Hacquetia) 

 JEpipactis. 



being annual, di- or trichotomous, and the few-flowered inflorescences 



being surrounded by large spinescent 

 bracts, simple or dentate, like the sepals. 

 It is a European or oriental genus. 



Sanicula (fig. 177, 178) resembles 

 Astrantia in its polygamo-dicecious flowers, 

 the form of its fruit and absence of car- 

 pophore. But the inflorescence is com- 

 posed of several umbels, arranged in 

 cymes ordinarily biparous, and in each 

 umbellule there is generally an indefinite 



number of male and one or a few hermaphrodite flowers. The 



Fig. 176. Inflorescence. 



