84 KEY AND FLORA 
2. Petals none, or very small and stamen-like. 
(a) Sepals yellow. Caltha, VIIT 
(0) Sepals greenish or white, falling as the flower opens. 
Thalictrum, II 
(c) Sepals white or colored, involucre sepal-like. Hepatica, IV 
(2) Sepals 4. Plants climbing. Clematis, VI 
(e) Sepals 5, white. Flowers axillary and terminal. Pods 
2-several-seeded. Tsopyrum, VII 
(f) Sepals white or colored. Plants not climbing. Akenes more 
or less tailed with the styles in fruit. Anemone, V 
(g) Sepals 5-10, white. Flowers inanumbel. Roots tuberous. 
Anemonella, III 
I. RANUNCULUS L. 
Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves alternate, usually deeply 
lobed or parted. Flowers axillary or in corymbs, white or 
yellow. Sepals 3-5. Petals 3-5, flat, with a small pit or scale 
inside at the narrowed base. Stamens usually numerous. 
Pistils few or several in a head. Akenes flattened, pointed.* 
1. R. pusillus Poir. Low Srzarwort. Perennial. Stems several, 
erect or ascending, branched, smooth, 6-15 in. high. Leaves entire or 
slightly toothed, the lower round or cordate, long-petioled, the upper 
lanceolate or elliptical, nearly or quite sessile. Flowers very small, 
about } in. wide, yellow. Petals 1-5, as long as the sepals. Stamens 
3-10. Akenes smooth, with a very short point. On muddy banks.* 
2. R. abortivus L. Smauu-FLOWERED Crowroor. Perennial. 
Stems smooth, branching, 12-18 in. high. Basal leaves round-cor- 
date, crenate, petioled. Stem leaves 38—-5-parted, with wedge-shaped 
or linear divisions, sessile. Flowers very small, pale yellow. Sepals 
reflexed, longer than the petals. Akenes in a globose head, smooth, 
without a beak. Common on wet ground and waste places.* 
3. R. recurvatus Poir. Hooxep Crowroot. Perennial. Stem 
erect, hairy, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves all nearly alike, petioled, 3-5-lobed, 
with the lobes wedge-shaped, cut or toothed at the apex. Flowers 
small, pale yellow. Petals minute, shorter than the reflexed sepals. 
Akenes in a globular head, smooth, with a slender, recurved beak. 
On low ground.* 
4. R. fascicularis Muhl. Turrep Burrercur. Perennial. Stems 
clustered from thickened fibrous roots, ascending, 5—9 in. high, cov- 
ered with close-lying silky hairs. Leaves. 3—5-divided, the divisions 
