RANUNCULACEiE. 27 



Plate 8. 

 MYOSURUS, Dill. 



Sepala basi deorsum calcarata. Petala calyce breviora, 

 angusta, ungue filiformi ad apicem tubuloso-nectarifera. 

 Achenia plurima, trigona, supra gynophorum elongatum spi- 

 cata. Semen suspensum. — Acaulescentes, annua?, pusillas ; 

 foliis linearibus integerrimis, scapo unifloro. 



Mvosurus, Dillen. Nov. Gen. 106. Linn. Gen. 394. Gasrtn. Fr. t. 74. 

 Schknhr, Handb. t. 88. DC. Syst. 1. p. 229. Endl. Gen. 4780. 



9Iouse-tail. 



Calyx somewhat petaloid, imbricated in aestivation : se- 

 pals 5, rarely 6 or 7, regular, oblong or spatulate, sessile, the 

 base prolonged downward below the insertion into a pen- 

 dent spur, deciduous. Petals as many as the sepals and 

 alternate with them, smaller than they, hypogynous, raised 

 on a slender claw which is somewhat tubular and nectarif- 

 erous at its summit ; the narrowly oblong lamina plane, not 

 longer than the claw. Stamens 5 to 20, hypogynous : fil- 

 aments filiform : anthers oblong, slightly extrorse, the cells 

 opening longitudinally. Pistils very numerous, or 20 to 25, 

 imbricated-spiked on a prolonged receptacle (gynophore) : 

 ovary inserted by the whole length of the ventral suture, 

 compressed, one-celled, one-ovuled : ovule anatropous, sus- 

 pended from the summit of the cell ; the raphe dorsal : 

 style subulate, as long as the ovary, naked, stigmatose from 

 the apex downward on the inner side. 



Fruit an elongated (cylindrical, linear, or oblong) spike 

 of achenia imbricated on the filiform and angled recepta- 

 cle, thickened and somewhat corky in texture at maturity, 

 broadest on the back, which is rhomboidal with thickened 

 edges and a somewhat carinate medial line ; the sides cunei- 

 formly converging to the ventral edge, winch is minutely 



