ant! of th£ aiijawnt 



♦ 



I.— RANUNCULACEJE. 



Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves radical or alter- 

 nate (opposite in Clematis). Stipules 0, or adnate to the petiole, 

 rarely free. Flowers regular or irregular, 1- or 2-sexual, rarely brac- 

 teate. Sepals 5 or more, rarely 2-4, usually deciduous, often 

 petaloid, imbricate (valvate in Clematis). Petals 0, or 3-5 or more, 

 imbricate, often minute or deformed. Anthers usually adnate and 

 dehiscing laterally. Carpels usually many, free, 1-celled; stigma 

 simple ; ovules 1 or more, on the ventral suture. Fruit of numerous 

 1 -seeded achenes, or many-seeded follicles, rarely a berry. Seeds 

 small, albuminous. 



The majority of the Indian species of this rather large family are confined 

 to the Himalayan ranges, and belong to genera which are represented 

 in European gardens by many familiar ornamental plants, such as : — 

 Anemone, Columbine, Larkspur, Monkshood, Pceony, etc. Nearly all 

 the species possess a more or less acrid juice, and some of them are 

 extremelylpoisonous. Nigella sativa, L., Vern. Kdlajira, is occasionally 

 found in native gardens, its seeds being used both as a condiment and 

 medicinally. 



Climbing shrubs with opposite leaves, sepals 



petal-like, valvate, petals . . . 1. Clematis. 



Herbs with alternate leaves, sepals imbricate. 



Sepals petal-like, petals 2. Thalicteum. 



herbaceous, petals 5 3. Eanuncultjs. 



1. CLEMATIS, Linn. ; Fl. Br. Ind. i. 2. 



Usually woody climbers. Leaves opposite, usually compound, 

 exstipulate, petioles often twining. Inflorescence axillary or ter- 

 minal. Sepals usually 4, petaloid, valvate. Petals 0. Stamens 

 many. Cartels many, each with 1 pendulous ovule. Fruit a head 

 of sessile or stalked achenes, each with usually a long feathery style. 

 Sepals spreading from the base, fil. glabrous 1. 0. Qouriana. 



Sepals erect with recurved tips, fil. hairy . 2. C. nutans. 



B 



