RANUNCULACEAE 223 



Plate 60. 



[Plate 61 is facing page 222.] 



A. Ranunculus pinnatus Poir. I. Flowering plant. 2. Thalamus with stamens 

 and pistils, long, section. 2/1. 3. Achene, long, section, showing the minute embryo at 

 its base. 6/1. 



B. Knowltonia vesicatoria Sims 1. Rootstoclc, leaf (small) and inflorescence. 

 2. Fruiting capitula, one of them with ripe fruitlets. 3. Long, section of drupelet 

 with minute embryo. 



Knowltonia vesicatoria. Rootstock creeping; leaves radical, large, on 

 young plants ternate, on older ones bi- and tri-ternate, leathery, dark green, 

 finely serrate or sometimes entire. Peduncles 1 — 2 feet high, bearing one 

 or more superposed umbels, the rays mostly simple, flowers one inch in 

 diameter, yellowish green ; fruitlets oblong, shining black. 



Common in woods and shady ravines of the coast districts, flowering in 

 spring and summer. (Plates 60 and 12.) 



The leaves contain an acrid substance like many other members of the 

 family. They are sometimes applied to the skin for producing blisters, hence 

 their colonial name " brandblaren." Even the juice of the ripe drupes is 

 pungent ; it would be interesting to know if any animal eats them. 



Fam. 27. Menispermaceae (S. A.). 

 (Plate 62 ; Fig. 99.) 



Shrubs, mostly climbing, rarely erect, with simple, 

 exstipulate leaves. Flowers dioecious. Sepals i — 9. 

 Petals 1, 2, 3 or 6. Stamens 3 — 15, free or connate. 

 Carpels 3 — 00 , free, each with 1 ovule. Fruit con- 

 sisting of 1 or several drupes; drupe 1 -seeded, with a 

 fleshy or coriaceous exocarp and a hard endocarp. 



About 250 species, most of them in tropical regions, 

 a few only in South Africa. Flor. Cap. 1, 9. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



A. Sepals 6 — 9 ; petals 5 or more. 

 a. Sepals free. 



I. Endocarp straight, 

 r. Fruit glabrous. 



3 species, i in Na. D. (D. caffrum.) 



1. Desmonema Miers 



2. Fruit ellipsoid, strigose. Leaves cordate, mostly 5-lobed. 



2 African species, 1 ext. to Natal (J. palmata). 

 (Jateorhiza.') 



2. Jatrorrhiza Miers 



M. 29 



