4^4 FLORA. 



ous. Carpels 2-20, sessile (stalked in a western species), several-ovuled, forming 

 a head of follicles in fruit. [Old Greek name for some Fumaria.] About 15 

 species, natives of the north temperate zone. Besides the following, 3 others occur 

 in western N. Am. 



1. Isopyrum biternatum (Raf.) T. & G. False Rue Anemone. (I. F. f. 

 1552.) Erect, paniculately branching above; roots fibrous and sometimes tuberifer- 

 ous. Basal leaves long-petioled, thin, the ultimate segments broadly obovate, ob- 

 tuse, lobed or divided; upper ones similar but sessile or short-petioled; flowers 

 several, terminal and axillary, 10-18 mm. broad; sepals 5, oblong or somewhat 

 obovate, obtuse; petals none; follicles widely spreading, ovate, 4 mm. long, several- 

 seeded, tipped with a beak nearly one-half their length. In moist woods and 

 thickets, Unt. to Minn., south to Fla. and Tex. May. 



8. XANTHORRHIZA L'Her. 



Low shrubby plants, with pinnate or bipinnate leaves, and small compoundly 

 racemose flowers. Sepals 5, petaloid, deciduous. Petals 5, smaller than the sepals, 

 unguiculate, concave, 2-lobed. Stamens 5 or 10. Carpels 4-10, sessile, 2-ovuled, 

 forming 1 -seeded follicles at maturity by the suppression of one of the ovules. 

 [Greek, yellow root.] A monotypic genus of eastern N. Am. 



1. Xanthorrhiza apiifolia L'Her. Shrub Yellow-root. (I. F. f. 1553.) 

 Glabrate, 3-6 dm. high, the bark and rootstocks yellow and bitter. Leaves clus- 

 tered at the summit of the short stem, the blade 12-15 cm. long, slender petioled; 

 leaflets 5, thin, 3-7 cm. long, incisely toothed, cleft or divided, sessile, ovate or 

 oblong, acute, shining; branches of the raceme slender, drooping, 5-7 cm. long; 

 flowers about 4 mm. broad, pedicelled, solitary or 2-3 together, brownish purple; 

 sepals ovate, acute; follicles 4-8, inflated, light yellow, I -seeded, diverging, curved 

 at the apex, minutely beaked. In woods, southwestern N. Y. to Ky. and Fla. 

 April-May. 



9. ACTAEA L. 



Erect perennial herbs, with large ternately compound leaves, and small white 

 flowers in terminal racemes. Sepals 3-5, petaloid. Petals 4-10. small, spatulate 

 or narrow, clawed. Stamens numerous. Ovary I, many-ovuled, forming in fruit a 

 large somewhat poisonous berry; stigma broad, sessile. [An ancient name of the 

 elder.] About 6 known species, natives of the north temperate zone. Besides the 

 following, another occurs in the western United States. 



Pedicels slender. 



Berries red, spherical. 1. A. arguta. 



Berries red, ellipsoid 2. A. rubra. 



Berries white, ellipsoid. 3. A. eburnea. 



Pedicels stout ; berries white, ellipsoid. 4. A. alba. 



i. Actaea arguta Nutt. Western Red Baneberry. Erect, 6-8 dm. 

 high, glabrous except the inflorescence. Basal leaf long-petioled, ternate, the 

 divisions long petioled, pinnate; leaflets ovate, 4-14 cm. long, generally more in- 

 cised and thinner than those of the next; teeth mostly sharp; raceme ovoid, in fruit 

 often elongated; petals spatulate; berry 5-7 mm. long. In rich woods, from Br. 

 Col. to Mont., Black Hills of S. Dak., W. Neb., N. Mex. and Cal. [A. rubra 

 arguta (Nutt.) Greene.] 



2. Actaea rubra (Ait.) Willd. Red Baneberry. (I. F. f. 1554O Erect, 

 bushy, 3-6 dm. high, pubescent or glabrate. Leaves petioled, or the upper ses- 

 sile; leaflets ovate, or the terminal one obovate, toothed or somewhat cleft, 

 the teeth mainly rounded or mucronate, or acutish; raceme ovoid; petals 

 spatulate, shorter than the stamens; berries red, oval, 10-12 mm. long and 6 mm. 

 in diameter. In woods, N. S. to N. J. and Penn., west to S. Dak. and Neb. 

 Most abundant northward. April-June. 



Actaea rubra dissdeta Britton. Leaflets all deeply incised, the lower compound or 

 decompound. Lincoln Co., Ont. Perhaps not properly referable to this species. 



3. Actaea eburnea Rydb. 1m»kv BANEBERRY. Stout, 6-10 dm. high from a 

 very thick knotted rootstock, with the habit and leaves of./, arguta; sepals rhom- 

 bic-spatulate; fruit 9-12 mm. Long and about 6 mm. in diameter, about 12-seeded. 



