BUTTERCUP FAMILY. Ranunculaccae. 



There are a few kinds of Atragene, resembling Clematis. 



This is peculiarly attractive, as the 

 Purple Clematis 



Airdgcnt ocd- flowers are large and beautiful and the 

 dentalis (Clematis) foliage very pretty. The leaves are 

 Violet, blue divided into three, pointed leaflets, which 



We^r" arc thin in texture, light bright-green and 



prettily cut or lobed, and the trailing or 

 climbing stems are almost smooth, slender and purplish 

 above and woody below. The flowers, which are not in 

 clusters, measure from two to three inches across, with 

 four, sometimes five, violet or blue sepals, spreading widely 

 as the flower grows older, and the outer stamens are broad 

 and resemble small petals. The flowers are followed by 

 handsome feathery heads, which are large and silky. This 

 pretty vine is found in the Grand Canyon, not far below the 

 Rim, and in many mountain places. The foliage varies 

 somewhat in different climates. 



There are many kinds of Thalictrum, not easily dis- 

 tinguished, widely distributed, a few in the Andes, India, 

 and Africa; perennials, with tall stems, from a short root- 

 stock, and handsome, compound leaves; the flowers perfect 

 or imperfect, many, small, in clusters, with four to seven 

 sepals and no petals; the akenes tipped with the long styles 

 and forming a head. Some of these plants have a disagree- 

 able smell. They grow in moist places, both East and West. 



Though its flowers are small and color- 

 Meadow Rue , _ . . 

 Thalictrum less, this plant is conspicuous tor delicacy 



Fendleri and grace. The leaves of tender green 



Greenish-white suggest the fronds of Maidenhair Fern 

 Summer and are oi mosi as beautiful, while the 



flowers are odd and pretty. A shower of ! 

 numerous, pale-yellow stamens, with purplish, threadlike 

 filaments, falls from the center of four, greenish-white 

 sepals and forms a charming little tassel. These tassels 

 hang on the ends of very slender pedicels, in loose clusters, 

 The smooth stems are from one to three feet tall and the 

 smooth leaves are thin in texture, thrice-compound, withj 

 many, rounded leaflets, the lower leaves with long leaf-] 

 stalks. This Meadow Rue has its pistils and stamens on : 

 different plants, the flowers with tassels of stamens being 

 prettier and more conspicuous than the small, green, pis-i 

 tillate ones. The variety Wrightii is common in Arizona, 

 150 



