220 



Fam. 26. Ranunculaceae. 

 (Plates J9 61.) 



Herbs or (Clematideae) climbing shrubs. Flowers 

 bisexual. Sepals 3 oc , mostly 5, free, deciduous, green 

 or petaloid. Petals 5 -15, often wanting, free, hypogynous, 

 in 1 or more whorls. Stamens 00 , hypogynous, free; 

 anthers adnate. Pistil apocarpous, superior; carpels 

 oc ', 1- or few-ovuled. Fruit an etaerio of achenes or 

 drupelets. Seeds with oily endosperm ; the embryo 

 minute. 



Over 1200 species, mostly in the northern hemisphere, 

 comparatively few in South Africa. All South African 

 species contain acrid or poisonous substances; hence thej 

 are avoided by grazing animals. Flor. Cap. 1, 1. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



A. Shrubs, climbing by means of the leaves. Leaves opposite. Achenes 



with a feathery tail. (Plate 59; Fig. 98.) 



6 species in S. A., many others. 



Flor. Cap. 1, 1. 1. Clematis /.. 



B. Herbs with alternate, cauline or radical leaves. 



a. Sepals coloured ; petals o. 



I. Inflorescence compound. Sepals 4 — 5, shorter than the stamens. 



2 species in S. A. E, No. 



Flor. Cap. 1, 3. 2. Thalictrum Tour*. 



II. Peduncle mostly 1 -flowered. Sepals 00 , longer than the stamens. 



Achenes dry, tailed. (Plates 59, 61, B.) 



4 S. A. species, on the mountains of the South and 

 East. Flor. Cap. 1, 3. 



3. Anem6ne /.. 



b. Sepals green. Petals present. 



I. Sepals 5; petals 00 , nearly concolorous with the sepals. Drupelets. 



(Plate 60.) 



Endemic, 10 species. 



Flor. Cap. 1, 4. 4. Knowlt6nia Stilish. 



II. Sepals 3 — 5. Petals 5 — 10, coloured. Achenes dry, mostly 



beaked. (Plates 60, 61, A.) 



10 species in S. A., some introduced. 



Flor. Cap. 1, 5. 5. Ranunculus /.. 



* Thalictrum rhynchocarpum mostly with 1 carpel. 



