204 Order 1.— RANUNCULAOE^. 



Observation. — Many other foreign species are ornamental, and perhaps rarely 

 cultivated. They all prefer a fresh, loamy soil 



3. HEPATICA, Dill. Liverwort. Fig. 132, 190. (Gr. r/Trarof, 

 of the liver; from the fancied resemblance of the leaf.) Involucre of 

 3 entire, ovate, obtuse bracts, resembling a calyx, situated a little below 

 the flower ; calyx of 5 — 9 petaloid sepals, disposed in 2 or 3 rows ; 

 corolla ; achenia awnless. 



H. triloba Chaix (and acutiloba DC). Lvs. trilobate, the lobes entire; scape 

 l-flowered| hairy. — Woods, Can. to Ga., and Wise. Tliis little plant is one of the 

 earliest harbingers of spring, often putting forth its neat and elegant flowers in 

 the neighborliood of some lingering snow bank. The root consists of numerous 

 and strong fibers. Lva. all radical, on long, liairy petioles, smooth, evergreen, 

 coriaceous, divided into tliree lobes, which suggest all its names. Fls on scapes 

 3 — i' long, solitary, numerous, generally blue, but frequently in varieties of white 

 and flesh color. In- cultivation they become double. In respect to the form of 

 leaves there are two varieties : 



a. 0BTU3A, lobes obtuse, rounded. — Prefers the south side of hills. 



0. AcnrA, lobes acute. — Prefers the north side of hills. 



4. THALICTRUM, Tourn. Meadow Rue. (Said to be from 

 ddXXcj, to be green.) Calyx colored, of 4 — 5 roundish, concave, 

 caducous sepals; corolla 0; filaments oo, compressed, dilated upward, 

 longer than the calyx; ovaries n\imerous (4 — -15); achenia sessile or 

 .stipitate, ribbed or i:;l' tcJ, poinled with the stigma or short style. — 



if Lvs. teriiately compounded, with stalked leaflets. Fls. paniculate, 

 often i i or 2 ^ S . 



* Carpels mostly 10 or 12, beaked with a style N03. 1, 2 



* Carjii4s few {i — G), with sessile stigmas N08. 8, 4 



1 T. dioicum L. ? 3 ; slum leaves on a short common petiole ; Ifts. obtusely 

 5-1 lobed; aoh. about 8, sessile. — -Hilly woods, Brit. Am. to Ga. and Ala. A 

 slender and delicate plant, glabrous and glaucous, 1 — 2f high. Lvs. ternately 

 decompound, the cauline on petioles 1 — 3' long, shortening upward. Lfts. roundish, 

 about f ' diameter, with 5 — 7 obtuse lobes, paler beneath. Filaments filiform, longer 

 than the 5 obtuse sepals. The slender terminal panicle is often purplish, gener- 

 ally pale green. Fruit strongly ribbed and distinctly pointed. May. 



2 T. oornuti L. S J ; stem lvs. all sessile (no common petiole) ; lfts. roundish 

 obovate, rather acutely 3-lobed ; ach. about 12, substipitate, ribbed. — Common 

 in meadows. Stem 3-4f high, smooth, hollow, jointed, furrowed Lvs. resem- 

 bling those of the columbine (Aquilegia), green above, smooth, several limes 

 compounded. Lfts. 1-2' long, f as wide. Petioles sheathing at base. Panicles 

 large and diffuse. The barren flowers have numerous club-shaped stamens, with 

 oblong yellow anthers. Fertile fls. smaller and less crowded. Jn., Jl. 



13. DOBiTATUM. Eadical lvs. (many) and lower stem lvs. petiolate. Ga. (Pond.) 



3 T. filipes Torr and Gr. S $ ; I/vs. cauline :. panicle corymious: ach. stiped. — 

 N. Car. (Curtis). Plant very smoooth, 2f or more in liight. Lvs. biteriiate, on 

 petioles 1' in length ; lfts. roundish, obtusely 3 — 5-lobed, glaucous ben(;ath. 

 Panicles loose and capillary. Fruit inflated, obovate, striate, each as long as its 

 slender stipe,~acute. Style 0. 



4 T. alpinum L. Lvs. mostly radical : fls. ^ in a simple raceme : ach. ovate, 

 sessile. — Can. and northward. Plant about G' high, glabrous. Lvs. petiolate, 

 bitemate; lfts. roundish, about 4' diara., crenately toothed. Stems few-leaved, 

 terminating in a cluster of a few nodding flowers on slender pedicels. Fila- 

 ments filiform. Style 0. 



5. TRAUTVETTfiRIA, Fisch. and Meyer. (Named in honor of 

 Trautvctter, a German botanist.) Sepals 4 — 5, colored, caducous; 

 petals 0; stamens c«, petaloid ; carpels 15 — 20. membranous nirl ;«, 



