Order I. RANUNCULACE^ Endl. Gen. 843. 



? 



Sepals 3-6 or more but usually 5, distinct, hypogynous, often 

 colored and petaloid. Petals 1-several or none, hypogynous. 

 Stamens indefinite in number, hypogynous, distinct. Ovaries 

 usually numerous, sometimes few or solitary, distinct: ovules 

 solitary or several. Fruit achenes or follicles or baccate. Seeds 

 anatropous. Embryo minute, near the base of horny or fleshy 

 albumen. Herbs or rarely shrubs with colorless usually acrid 

 juice, alternate or rarely opposite leaves without stipules, the 

 base of the petiole generally dilated and partly clasping the stem. 



Tribe i. Leaves opposite. Sepals valvate in the bud, petaloid. 

 Petals very small or none. Fruit a head of hairy-tailed achenes. 



1 Clematis. Half- woody plants climbing by their petioles, or erect herbs < 



Tribe ii. Sepals petaloid or greenish,' imbricated in the bud. 

 Fruit a head or spike of achenes. 



* Achenes in a more or less globular or oblong head. Sepals not 

 spurred at base, petaloid. Petals none. 



2 Anemone. Sepals indefinite in number, leaves on the stem opposite, 

 or whorled on or below 1 -flowered peduncles. 



3 Thalictruni' Flowers mostly dioecious, panicled : leaves alternate, 

 ternately decompound. 



* * Achenes numerous, in along j.nd elendcr, or shcrt sjnke. Sepals 

 spurred at base. Petals present. 



4 Myosurus. Petals slender; flowers, solitary on scapes. 



Tribe hi. Sepals imbricate in the bud. Pistils numerous, be- 

 coming achenes. Ovule solitary, ascending. Leaves alternate. 



5 Trantvetteria. Flowers perfect, cor^ mbosely panicled; sepals petal- 



oid, soon deciduous; leaves alternate, palmately cleft. 



6 Batrachiuni: Flowers perfect: peduncles solitary, opposite the leaves: 



petals white with a naked nectariferous pit near the base: achenes trans- 

 versely wrinkled on the sides. 



7 Ranunculus. Flowers perfect: peduncles axillary or terminal: petals 

 mostly yellow, with a nectariferous spot or pit covered by a scale on the 

 claw: achenes not wrinkled on the sides. 



Tribe iv. Sepals imbricated in the bud. Petals small or irreg- 

 ular or none. Fruit 1-several follicles, or a 1 -celled berry. Leaves 

 alternate. 



* Fruit 1-several follicles. 

 +- Flowers regular; follicles 1-15. 



8 Caltha. Sepals petaloid; petals none; leaves simple; carpels 5-15. 



9 Trollius. Sepals 5-15, petaloid: petals 5-20, tubular at base; follicles 



sessile; leaves palmately parted. 



10 Coptis. Sepals 5-6, greenish : petals 5-6 enlarged in the middle or at the 



summit ; carpels 5-10, stipitate : leaves compound, persistent. 



11 Aquilegia. Sepals 5, colored : petals 5, all spurred backwards : carpels 

 5, sessile : leaves ternately compound. 



