264 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



ranged ; hypogynous, free ; anthers innate, dehiscing longitu- 

 dinally. Carpels ao , or rarely few or only one ; usually distinct 

 and one-celled ; rarely forming a compound ovary ; when 

 numerous, spirally arranged. Ovary with one or many ovules. 

 Ovules anatropous. Fruit generally consisting of a number of 

 achenes ; sometimes of several follicles ; very rarelj' baccate or 

 capsular. Seeds solitary or numerous ; when solitary, erect or 

 pendulous; exarillate. Embryo minute, embedded in horny or 

 rarely fleshy albumen. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs or rarely shrubs, with a colourless, watery, 

 and usually acrid juice. Sepals, petals, and stamens distinct, 

 hypogynous. CoroUa with an imbricate sestivation. Stamens 

 usually numerous ; anthers adnate, bursting longitudinaUy. 

 Carpels, except in a very few instances, more or less distinct. 

 Seeds with a minute embryo, and homogeneous horny albumen, 

 anatropous. 



Rauunculacese may be distinguished from Papaveracese by 

 the apocarpous pistil and watery juice ; from Berberidacese by 

 the herbaceous habit, the indefinite stamens, and the dehiscence 

 of the anthers ; from DiUeniaeese by the habit, the deciduous 

 sepals, and the absence of an aril to the seeds ; from Magnoliaces 

 by the habit and by the arrangement of the perianth. 



The order is divided into the following tribes : — 



Tribe 1. ClematidecB. — Sepals usually \alvate. Petals absent. 

 Carpels with one ovule, which is pendulous. Fruit consisting 

 of a number of achenes. Stem herbaceous or cUmbing ; 

 leaves opposite. 



Tribe 2. Anemonea. — Sepals imbricate. Carpels with a single 

 pendulous ovule. Fruit consisting of a number of achenes. 

 Leaves radical, or alternate ; sometimes simulating an invo- 

 lucre. 



Tribe 3. Banuncuhce. — Sepals imbricate. Carpels with a single 

 ascending ovule. Fruit a number of achenes. Leaves radical 

 or alternate. 



Tribe 4. Hellebores. — Flowers regular or irregular. Sepals im- 

 bricate. Petals small, or irregular, or absent. Fruit a number 

 of folhcles, or rarely a capsule or a berry. 



Tribe 5. Pceoniece. — Sepals imbricate. Fruit of 2-5 folhcles, 

 more or less surrounded at the base by a cup-shaped disc. 



Distribution. — The order includes 30 genera and about COO 

 species. It is widespread in its distribution, but is scantily repre- 

 sented in the tropics, except on mountains. 



