1 62 RANUNCULACEAE. 



Caltha biflora DC. Stems 10-20 cm. high; leaves crenate or repand, the 

 basal lobes usually overlapping; sepals 6-9, oval to oblong; follicles short- 

 stalked. 



In wet alpine meadows, Alaska to California. 



Caltha leptosepala DC. Stems 8-20 cm. high; leaves cordate, crenate or 

 repand; sepals 7-10, oblong, often bluish beneath; follicles very short-stalked. 

 Wet mountain meadows, Alaska to Oregon and Colorado. 



203. TROLLIUS. 



Glabrous perennial herbs with palmately lobed or dissected 

 leaves and yellow flowers; sepals 5-15, regular, petal-like, de- 

 ciduous; petals 5-8, small, 1-lipped, tubular at base; stamens 

 and carpels numerous, the latter forming in fruit many-seeded 

 follicles. 



Trollius laxus Salisb. Globe Flower. Leaves 5-7-cleft; sepals white; 

 petals numerous, shorter than the stamens, very small. 

 In wet places at low elevations in the mountains, rare. 



204. ACTAEA. Baneberry. 



Erect perennial herbs; leaves large, 2-3-ternately compound; 

 flowers small, white, in a terminal raceme; sepals 3-5, petal-like; 

 petals 4—10, small, spatulate or narrow-clawed; stamens numer- 

 ous; ovary 1-many-ovuled, in fruit forming a large somewhat 

 poisonous berry. 



Actaea spicata arguta (Nutt.) Torr. Stems 30-60 cm. tall, erect; leaves 

 triternately decompound; leaflets obliquely ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, 

 coarsely incised-serrate or lobed, puberulent when young, 3-6 cm. long; 

 racemes densely flowered, 2-3 cm. long, becoming loose in age; berries bright 

 red, rarely white. 



In moist copses, frequent. 



205. CIMICIFUGA. Bugbane. 



Perennial herbs, with 2-3-ternately divided leaves and serrate 

 leaflets; flowers white, in elongated racemes; sepals 4 or 5, early 

 falling; petals 1-8, small, clawed, 2-lobed or none; stamens 

 numerous; carpels 1-8, many-ovuled, becoming follicles at 

 maturity. 



Follicles stalked; petals usually present. C. laciniata. 



Follicles not stalked; petals none. C. elata. 



Cimicifuga laciniata Wats. Tall, 1 m. or more high; leaflets oblong or 

 ovate, lacinately toothed; follicles 3-5, stalked, 12 mm. long; seeds flattened. 

 Woods about the base of Mount Hood, Oregon. 



Cimicifuga elata Nutt. Tall, 1-2 m. high; leaflets broad, cordate, acute, 

 coarsely serrate, mostly 3-lobed; follicles 1-3, sessile, 8-10 mm. long; seeds 

 not flattened. 



In open woods, rare. 



