3i8 



RANUNCULACEAE 



Carpels ripening into a head of red berries. I. Hydrastis. 



Carpels ripening into a head of dry follicles. 2. Caltha. 



Petals present. 



Petals linear, flat. 3. Trollius. 



Petals tubular, at least at the base. 



Sepals persistent; stem tall, leafy. 4. Helleborus. 



Sepals deciduous; stem scape-like, bearing 



1 leaf. 5. Eranthis. 



Leaves ternately or pinnately compound or decompound. 

 Petals not spurred. 



Flowers solitary or panicled. 6. Coptis. 



Flowers racemose. 



Fruit berries. 7. Actaea. 



Fruit follicles. 8. Cimicifuga. 



Petals prolonged backward into hollow spurs. 9. Aquilegia. 



Flowers irregular. 



Posterior sepal spurred. 10. Delphinium. 



Posterior sepal hooded, helmet-like. II. Aconitum. 



Carpels l-ovuled; fruit an achene. 



Flowers subtended by involucres remote from the calyx or close 

 under it; sepals petal- like. 

 Involucre remote from the calyx; styles short, subulate. 12. Anemone. 

 Involucre of 3 simple sessile leaflets close under the flower. 13. Hepatica. 

 Involucre of 3 compound sessile leaves; leaflets stalked. 14. Svndesmon. 



Flowers not subtended by involucres. 

 Leaves opposite; sepals petal-like. 

 Petals wanting. 



Sepals and stamens spreading; flowers panicled. 15. Clematis. 

 Sepals and stamens erect or ascending; flowers 



mostly solitary. 16. Viorna. 



Petals present, small, spatulate. 17. Atragene. 



Leaves alternate or basal. 

 Petals present. 



Mostly aquatic; petals white, only the claw 



yellow. 19. Batrachium. 



Mostly terrestrial; petals yellow. 



Achenes swollen; sepals 3. 20. Ficaria. 



Achenes compressed. 



Achenes longitudinally striate. 21. Halerpf.sths. 



Achenes not longitudinally striate, but 



smooth, papillose or spiny. 18. Ranunculus. 



Petals none; leaves ternately decompound. 22. Thalictrum. 



i. Hydrastis Ellis. 

 H. canadensis L. In woods: Conn, and S. N. Y. to Ont., 

 Minn., Ga. and Ark. Very rare in our area. 

 Conn. Southern part of Hartford Co. 



N. Y. LTnknown on L. I. and on S. I. and up the Hudson Valley 

 to the Highlands; reported but not definitely known from near 

 West Point, thence scattering and rare northward. 



