I02 RANUNCULACEAE (BUTTERCUP FAMILY) 



Q. Beak of akene not hooked. 

 R. Petals 2-4 mm. long; annual, (See P,) 



RR. Petals 6-13 mm. long; perennial. W. C. E. R. eschscholtzil 



QQ. Beak of akene hooked; petals 2-4 mm. long. C. E. R. verecundus 



HH. Plants pubescenj; or hairy, usually 3-5 dm. or more high or long (except 

 R. parvijlorus and R. cardiophyllus), 

 S. Beak of akene not hooked. 

 T. Petals s, 2-4 mm. long, not exceeding the calyx; plant erect. W. E. 



R. pennsylvanicus (bristly buttercup) 



TT. Petals 6 or more mm. long, exceeding the calyx. 



U. Petals 5; beak of akene less than 2 mm. long. 



V. Leaves not white-spotted; stem erect or ascending; plant without stolons. 



W. E. R. oreganus 



W. Leaves mostly white-spotted; stem prostrate; plant with stolons, W. 



R. repens (creeping buttercup) 

 UU. Petals 7-16; beak of akene 3-4 mm. long. 

 W. Leaf segments linear to cuneate-obovate, 2-3-lobed or -toothed. W. E. 



R. orthorhynchus 



WW. Leaf segments oblong to ovate, 3-cleft or -parted and again 3-g-toothed. 



E. R. platyphyllus 



SS. Beak of akene hooked. 



X. Petals 5. 



Y. Petals 4-6 mm. long, less than ij times as long as the sepals. W. C. E. 



R. bongardil (blotched buttercup) 



YY. Petals 6-15 mm. long, at least twice as long as the sepals. 



Z. Basal leaves coarsely .crenate to 3-7 cleft, segments entire; stem leavds 



palmately many-cleft, segments incisely crenate. E. R. cardiophyllus 



ZZ. Basal leaves 3-parted, segments sometimes again 2-s-lobed; stem 



leaves 3-parted, segments entire or 2-3-lobed. E. R. ciliosus 



ZZZ. Basal leaves 3-s-cleft or -parted, segments 2-3-lobed; stem leaves 



3-5-parted or -divided; segments entire. W. 



R. occldentalls (prairie buttercup) 

 XX. Petals 6-15. W. R. calif ornicus 



GG. Faces of akenes scabrous or muriculate or ecbinate; annuals. 

 a. Akenes hispid with hooked hairs; beak of akene hooked; plant pubescent. E. 



R. hebecarpus (bur-seed buttercup) 

 aa. Akenes muriculate. 

 b. Plant villous or hirsute; leaves 3-s-parted or -divided; petals not longer 

 than the sepals; beak of akene hooked. W. 



R. parvlflorus (small-flowered buttercup) 



bb. Plant nearly glabrous; leaves 3-5-cleft; petals longer than the sepals; 



beak of akene not hooked. W. R. muricatus (rough-seeded buttercup) 



THALICTRUM (Meadow-rue) 



Herbs, perennial, erect, tall, usually smooth. Leaves alternate. Flowers 

 perfect or polygamous or dioecious, greenish white. Sepals 4-5. Stamens 

 many, exserted. Akenes usually few, ribbed or veined, — (Said to be from 

 Gk. thallo = to become green ; referring to the young shoots.) 



A. Akene flat, two edged. 

 B. Flowers perfect; akenes half rhombic-ovate. C. E. T. sparsiflorum 



BB. Flowers dioecious. 

 C. Akenes lanceolate, acuminate. W. C. E. T. occidentale 



