26 



WEEDS AST) USEFUL PLAISsTS. 



Oeder I. EANUNCULA'CE^. (Ckowtoot Family.) 



Heris, or woody vines, witli a colorless and often acrid juice, and ■asuallT dissected Zeates, 

 vritho'ct stipules ; petals sometimes wanting, and the calyx, which is often colored like a 

 corolla, hypogynous ; the sepals, petals, numerous stamens, and many or few (rarely 

 single) all distinct and unconnected. Fruit eitlier dry pods, alcenes or beri'iesl- 



several-seeded ; seeds with a firm, fleshy aJbumen, and a minute enibryo. 



In many plants of this family, the juice is so powerfully acrid as to produce blistering ; 

 the acridity in most is, however, destroyed hy heat, and in many it is lost in drying. 

 Many of the plants belonging to the order are cultivated for ornament, as the Colum- 

 *bine, Clematis, Anemone, Larkspur, Peony, &c. Some, as the Aconite, are eminently 

 poisonous, while others, like Coptis, are simple bitter tonics. 



§1. Petals none. Sepals colored and petal-like. Pistils several, becoming akenes in fru't. 

 Lpper leaves sometimes forming an involucre near the flower. 



Akenes several, not ribbed ; three upper simple leaves forming a 



calyx-like involucre near the flower. Kadical leaves 3-lobed. 1. Hepahca. 



Akenes several, ribbed, 

 pound. 



Involucre none. Leaves 3-4 times com- 



^ 2. Sepals and petals present, the latter vrith a small scale at the base 

 inside. 



Akenes in a head. 



RANUscinus. 



§ 3. Sepals petal-like. Petals, when present, small and irregular. Pis- 

 tils forming several seeded pods, or follicles. 



Flower regular. 



Petals none. Sepals yellow. Leaves kidney-shaped. 

 Petals small, hollowed at the apex. Sepals whitish. 

 Pistils stalked. 



4. Cauha. 



0. C!OPTIS. 



Flower irregular. 



Upper sepal spurred. Petals 4, of two forms. 

 Upper sepal hooded. Petals 2, long-clawed. 



5. DELPHISIUil. 



L Aco>-itum:. 



§4, Sepals petal-like, faffing off as the flower opens. Petals small, 2- 

 horned at the apex. 



Flowers in a long raceme. 



CnncrFUGA. 



1. HEPAT'ICA. DiUen. Liyeeleaf. 



{Greek, Hepar, the liver, from a fancied resemblance in the leaves.] 



Involucre of 3 simple leaflets, close to the flowers, resembling a 

 calyx. Sepals 6 - 9 in 2 - 3 rows, colored and petal-like. Petals none. 

 Alcenes in a loose head, compressed, haii'y. Leaves all radical. Flowers 

 single, on hairy scapes. 



