Thalictrum.] ranunculace^. 3 



pinnate. Sepals oblong, bluntish, obscurely 3-nerTed, villous on both sides, most 

 so beneath, a little longer than the stamens, leathery, at length strongly deflexed 

 and revolute. Stamens numerous, at first erect then spreading, their filaments 

 flattened, greenish white, slightly dilated upwards, anthers of 2 linear oblong 

 decurrent lobes, whitish. Germem small, roundish, on a villous receptacle. 

 Styles numerous, the length of the stamens, greenish, hairy, erect with spreading 

 tips. Carpels oyoid elliptical, compressed, pubescent, reddish brown, with long 

 leathery mostly defle.xed and incurved awns about an inch or an inch and a half 

 in length. 



Called Old Man's Beard in many parts of England, from the hoary aspect of 

 the long feathery awns of the seed, which remain attached to the plant through- 

 out the winter, and contribute to enliven the leafless hedges at that dreary sea- 

 son. In the absence of trees to cling to, I have seen it running down the steep 

 sides of challc-pits, like long ropes, which its twisted fibrous stems greatly resem- 

 ble. The slender flexile branches serve occasionally for binding faggots, and as 

 a substitute for the more costly pipe or cigar to our young rustic smokers. 



The North-American C. Virginiana, sometimes seen in our gardens, and 

 greatly resembling this species, has teruate leaves, dioecious flowers, and a less 

 woody texture. 



1 found some years ago the sweet-scented Clematis of our gardens (C. Flam- 

 mula, Linn., var. maritima), with very narrow leaflets, on the loose sandy beach 

 at Norton, by Yarmouth, where it appeared quite naturalized, though sparingly, 

 in a situation analogous to that in which I have gathered the typical form in the 

 S. of France, where the plant is mostly a trailing, not a climbing, one. 



C. cirrhosa, a Spanish species which Gerarde alleges to have been found by 

 himself in this island, is not likely ever to have occuiTed here. 



Tribe II. Anemones. 



Estivation imbricate. Petals 5 — 15 without a nectariferous 

 pore, more commonly or abortive. Carpels several or nume- 

 rous, 1-seeded, indehiscent, either tailed or merely pointed or 

 mucronate. Seed pendulous. Herbaceous, never shrubby or 

 climbing. Leaves radical or alternate, cauline often opposite or 

 whorled and forming an involucre. 



II. Thalictrum, Linn. Meadow Eue. 



Calyx of 4 — 5 sej)als. Petals 0. Carpels indehiscent, grooved 

 ribbed or inflated, sometimes stipitate. Seed pendulous. Name 

 of unknown or uncertain derivation. 



Somewhat acrid and foetid perennials with bi-triternately decompounded leaves, 

 the divisions and the mostly 3-lobed leaflets stalked. Flowers panicled or corym- 

 bose, white, greenish or yellowish, often dioecious or polygamous. Mostly native 

 to the colder parts of Europe, Asia and America. 



The Meadow Eues approach certain species of Clematis in their flowers (C. 

 erecta and C. integi'ifolia) and habit, whilst they resemble Aquilegia in their ter- 

 nately compounded leaves, and trifidly lobed leaflets. 



1. T.flavum, L. Common Meadoiv Rue. " Stem erect branch- 

 ed furrowed, leaves bipinnate, leaflets broadly obovate or wedge- 

 shaped trifid, panicle compact subcorymbose, flowers erect." — 

 Br. Fl. p. 5. E. B. t. 367. 



In wet meadows, along ditches and banks of rivers ; extremely rare. M. June, 

 July. 71. 



E. Med. — In wet pasture ground on the N. shore of the Wootton river at its 

 mouth ; very sparingly. 



