4 



THE RANUNCULUS FAMILY. 



In hedges, thickets, and open woods in central and southern Europe 

 to the Caucasus. Abundant in several of the southern and some of the 

 central counties of England, and naturalized in Ireland. Fl. summer. 



II. THALICTRUM. THALICTRUM. 



Herbs with a short, perennial rootstock, annual, erect stems, and much 

 divided leaf-stalks, bearing distinct segments or leaflets. Sepals 4 or 5, 

 small, coloured and petal-like, but no real petals. Stamens numerous, 

 with long anthers projecting beyond the calyx. Carpels several, 1- 

 seeded, furrowed, and usually acute at both ends. 



A considerable genus generally diffused over the northern hemisphere, 

 distinguished from Actcea by the distinct one-seeded carpels, from all 

 others of the Order by the thin texture of the sepals, almost concealed 

 by the prominent stamens, and the peculiar foliage. The species are 

 very variable and difficult to characterize. They have also been much 

 multiplied by modern botanists, but if many of their forms be considered 

 as mere varieties, and the British species limited to three, their cha- 

 racters are more striking. 



Stem simple, seldom 6 inches high 1. Alpine T. 



Stem one or more feet high. 



Leaflets roundish ; panicle diffuse ; flowers mostly drooping 2. Lesser T. 



Leaflets obovate or wedge-shaped ; panicle compact ; flowers 



mostly erect 3. Yellow T. 



Some foreign European species are to be met with in old gardens, 

 especially the tall, handsome T. aquilegi folium. 



1. Alpine Thalictrum. Thalictrum alpinum, Linn. (Eig. 2.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 262.) 



Stem usually simple and almost leaf- 

 less, from 4 to 6 inches high. Leaves 

 mostly radical, about half the height of 

 the stem, with the footstalk twice divided 

 into three or five branches ; leaflets 

 small, roundish and crenate or lobed. 

 Panicle nearly reduced to a simple ra- 

 ceme. Elowers few and drooping, each 

 with 4 small sepals. Stamens from 10 to 

 20. Carpels generally reduced to 2 or 

 3. Pedicel of the fruit recurved, as well 

 as that of the flower. 

 An alpine plant, frequent in the mountains of northern Europe and 



