54 THE RANUNCULUS FAMILY. 



pimple, not composed of the union of several, as is the case with the central 

 ovaries of the Poppy and Cistus faniihes, which have either several cells of 

 several rows of ovules. Another very distant Order, which may at first 

 sight be confounded with the present one, is that of the Alismas, among 

 Monocotyledons ; but besides tlie microscopical character derived from the 

 embryo, there are but three petals and sepals, as in most other Monocoty- 

 ledons, a rare circumstance in tlie Ranunctiius family. 



jRanuHculaeete are widely diffused over tlie globe, but more especially in 

 temperate oi- cool climates. Witliin the tropics they are, with the exception 

 of Clematis, almost confined to high mountain-ranges. Most of the prin- 

 cipal genera are represented in our Flora. 



Climber with opposite leaves. Carpels one-seeded. Sepals coloured 1. Cleiiatis. 

 Herbs with alternate or radical leaves. 



Carpels several or numerous, short, one-seeded. Flowers always 

 regular. 

 Sepals 4, 5, or more, often coloured and petal-like, but no real 

 petals. 

 An involucre of three leaves outside the flower or on the stalk . '3. Anemonb. 

 No involucre. Floral leaves alternate. Stamens longer than 



the sepals 2. Thalictrum. 



Petals 5 or more, usually more conspicuous than the sepals. 



Cai*pels very numerous, in a long, cylindrical column. Petals 



very small, with a tubular claw 5. Mousetail. 



Carpels in a globose or oblong head. Petals flat. 



Petals (usually yeUow or white) with a little scale, or a thick- 

 ened hollow spot at the base of each 6. Ranunculus. 



Petals (usually red) without any scale or thickened spot at 



the base 4. Adonis. 



Carpels several, each with several seeds. 

 Flowers very irregular or spurred. 



Upper sepal helmet-shaped, without a spur 12. Aconite. 



Upper sepal with a long spur at the base 11. Larkspur. 



Sepals flat and regulai'. Petals with a spur at the base of each 10. Columbine. 

 Flowers regular. 



Sepals large, often coloured. Petals small or none. 



Sepals bright yellow and petal-like. Real petals none ... 7- Cai.tha. 

 Sepals pale yellow and petal-like. Petals small, flat, and linear 8. Troli.ius. 



Sepals greenish. Petals small and tubular 9. HiiLLiBORE. 



Sepals green, smaller than the large red or white petals , . . li. Pjeony. 

 Carpels soliiary. with several seeds. 



Fruit a capsule. Flowers spurred 11. Larkspur. 



Fruit a berry. Flowers nearly regular, small 13. Act.«a. 



Among old inhabitants of our gardens, which may sometimes be found 

 to spread spontaneously, are the exotic genera Eranthis (Winter Aconite 

 of our gardeners) and Isopyriim, both closely allied to Hellebore, and Ni- 

 gella (Devil-in-tlie-bush), which ditfers fi'om Hellebore in the more petal- 

 like sepals, and the carpels closely connected together to the middle, but 

 divergmg at the top into five long points. 



I. CLEMATIS. CLEMATIS. 



Stem usually climbing, and often woody at the base. Leaves opposite. 

 Sepals 4 or 5, valvate in the bud, coloured and petal-like. No real petals. 

 Stamens numerous. Carpels numerous, 1-seeded. 



A numerous genus, well characterized, widely spread over the globe, and 

 almost the oiily representative of the Order in tropical climates. Several 

 European, Asiatic, and North American species are among the hardy clim- 

 bers cultivated in our gardens. 



