2 THE RANUNCULUS FAMILY. 
with the present one, is that of Alismacew, among Monocotyledons; but 
besides the microscopical character derived from the embryo, there are 
but three petals. and sepals, as in most other Monocotyledons, a rare 
circumstance in Ranunculacee. | 
Ranunculacee are widely diffused over the globe, but more especially 
in temperate or cool climates. Within the tropics they are, with the 
exception of Clematis, almost confined to high mountain-ranges. Most 
of the principal genera are represented in our Flora. eh 
Climber with opposite leaves. Carpels 1-seeded. Sepals coloured 1. CLEMATIS. 
Herbs with alternate or radical leaves, rarely opposite on runners. 
Carpels several or numerous, one- seeded. Flowers always regular. 
Sepals 4, 5, or more, often coloured and petal-like, but no real 
petals. 
An involucre of 3 leaves outside the flower oron the stalk . 3. ANEMONE. 
No involucre. Floral leaves alternate. Stamens longer than , 
the sepals. : . &, THARICTRE Mees 
Petals 5 or more, usually more conspicuous than the sepals. 
Carpels very numerous, in a long, cylindrical column. 
Petals very small, with atubularclaw. 5. MYOSURUS. 
Carpels in a globose or oblong head. Petals flat. 
Petals (usually yellow or white) with a little scale, or a 
thickened hollow spot at the base of each 6. RANUNOULUS. 
Petals (usually red) without any scale or thickened spot 
at the base : 3 4 ; ‘ : . 4, ADONIS. 
Carpels several, each with sever al seeds. 
Flowers very irregular or spurred. 
Upper sepal helmet-shaped, without a spur, . : ; . 12. ACONITUM. 
Upper sepal with a long spur at the base A 11. DELPHINIUM. 
Sepals flat and regular. Petals with aspur at the base. of each 10. AQUILEGIA. 
Flowers regular. 
Sepals large, often coloured. Petals small or none. 
Sepals bright yellow and petal-like. Real petals none . 7. CALTHA. 
Sepals pale yellow and petal-like. Petals small, Hat, and 
linear : 8. TROLLIUS. 
Sepals greenish. Petals small and tubular. 9. HELLEBORUS. 
Sepals green, smaller than the large red or white petals . _ 14. PHONIA. 
Carpels solitary, with several seeds. 
Fruit a capsule. Flowers spurred . : ; A . 11. DELPHINIUM. 
Fruit a berry. Flowers nearly regular, small . ‘ ‘ . 13. ACT AMA. 
Among old inhabitants of our gardens, which have spread spon- 
taneously, are the exotic genera Hranthis (Winter Aconite) and Jsopyrum, 
both closely allied to Helleborus ; and Nigella (Devil-in-the-bush), which 
differs from Helleborus in the more petal-like sepals, and the carpels 
connected together in the middle, but diverging at the top into 5 long 
points. 
I. CLEMATIS. CLEMATIS. 
Stem usually climbing, and often woody at the base. Leaves opposite. 
Sepals 4 or 5, valvate in the bud, coloured and petal-like. No real 
petals. Stamens numerous. Carpels numerous, 1-seeded. | 
A numerous genus, well characterised, widely spread over the globe, 
and almost the only representative of the Order in tropical climates. 
Several exotic species are among the hardy climbers cultivated in our 
gardens. 
1. C. Vitalba, fists: (fig. 1*). Traveller's Joy, Old Man’s Beard.— 
* These figures refer to the companion vol., ‘‘Tlustrations of the British Flora,” by 
Fitch and Smith, 
