34 CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



$ 2. Sepals imbricated in the bud. Not climbing, nor woody except in 8 and one of 20. 



* Pistils and akenes several or many in a head, l-seeded. 



t- Petals none : sepals petal-like. 



2. HEPATICA. Involucre close to the flower, exactly imitating a 3-leaved calyx. 



Sepals 6 or more, oblong, resembling petals. Pistils 12-20. Stemless low 

 perennials, with rounded 3-lobed leaves and 1-flowered scapes. 



3. ANEMONE. Involucre of 2 or more opposite or whorled green leaves much 



below the flower. Sepals 4-20. Pistils very many in a close head (or fewer 

 in one species), forming pointed or tailed akenes. 



4. THALICTRUM. Involucre none, and stem-leaves all alternate, except in one 



species intermediate between this genus and Anemone. Sepals 4 or more. 

 Pistils 4-15, forming several-angled or grooved akenes. Perennials, with 

 small flowers in panicles or umbels, most of them dioecious, and with 

 ternately compound or decompound leaves. 



t- Petals and sepals both conspicuous, 5 or more. Akenes naked, short-pointed. 

 6. ADONIS. Petals and sepals naked, no pit or appendage at the base. Akenes 

 in a head or short spike. 



6. MYOSURUS. Sepals with a spur at the base underneath. Petals on a slender 



claw, which is hollow at its apex. Akenes in a long tail-shaped spike. 



7. RANUNCULUS. Sepals naked. Petals with a little pit or a scale on the short 



claw. Akenes in a head. 



* Pistils several, 2-ovuled, becoming 1 - 2-seeded pods or berries. 



8. ZANTHORHIZA. Sepals 5, deciduous after flowering. Petals 5, small, 



2-lobed, on a claw. Stamens 5-10. Little pods 1-seeded. Undershrnb, 

 with yellow wood and roots. 



9. HYDRASTIS. Sepals 3, falling when the flower opens. Petals none. Fruit 



berry-like. Low perennial. 



* * Pistils several, few, or one, forming several-seeded pods or rarely berries. 

 -i- Sepals (4 or 5) falling when the flower opens, petal-like. Petals minute, and with 

 claws, or none. Stamens numerous, white. Leaves ternatety decompound. 



10. ACTJIA. Pistil only one, becoming a berry. Flowers in a short and thick 



raceme or cluster. 



11. CIMICIFUGA. Pistils 1-8, becoming pods in fruit. Flowers in long racemes. 

 H- *- Sepals not fatting when the flower opens, in 15 and 20 persistent even till the 



fruit matures, in all the others petal-like and deciduous. 

 w Petals none at all: flowers regular. 



12. CALTHA. Sepals 5 -9. Pods several. Leaves simple and undivided, rounded. 

 *+ ++ Petals 6 or more inconspicuous nectar-bearing bodies, very much smaller than 



the sepals : flower regular. 



13. TROLLIUS. Sepals 5 -many. Petals with a little hollow near the base. 



Pods sessile. Leaves palmately parted and lobed. 



14. COPTIS. Sepals 5-7. Petals 'club-shaped and tubular at the top. Pods 



raised on slender stalks ! Leaves with 3 leaflets. 



16. HELLEBORUS. Sepals 5, persistent, enlarging and turning green after flow- 

 ering! Petals hollow and 2-lipped. Leaves palmately or pedately divided. 



16. NIGELLA. Sepals 5. Petals 2-lobed. Pods 3-5 or more united below into 



one ! Annuals, with finely dissected leaves. 

 +* ++ *+ Petals large hollow spurs projecting .between the sepals : flower regular. 



17. AQUILEGIA. Sepals 5. Pistils about 6, with slender styles, and forming 



narrow pods. Perennials, with ternately compound or decompound leaves. 

 .w +* -w- +* Petals 2 or 4, much smaller than the 5 unequal sepals : t. e. the flower 

 irregular and unsymmetricaL Leaves palmately lobed or parted. Pods 1-5. 



18. DELPHINIUM. Upper sepal spurred; the spur enclosing the spurs of the 



upper pair of petals: lower pair of petals spurless or wanting. 



19. ACONITUM. Upper sepals in the form of a hood or helmet, covering the two 



very long-clawed and peculiar little petals. 



*+++++*+** Petals large and flat, of ordinary shape. Sepals herbaceous and 

 persistent ! Flowers large, regular. 



20. P^ONIA. A fleshy disk surrounds the base of the 2 or more pistils, which 



form leathery pods in fruit. Seeds large, rather fleshy-coated. Perennials, 

 with compound or decompound leaves : one species shrubby. 



