RANUNCULACEJE. (CROWFOOT FAMILY.) 3 
6. Thalictrum. Achenia 4-10, ribbed or grooved, or inflated. 
Tribe 3. RANUNCULEA2. Sepals imbricated in the bud. Petals 
conspicuous, flat. Achenia numerous. Seed solitary. 
7. Ranunculus. Petals with a little scale or pore at the base on the 
inside. Seed erect. 
Tribe 4. HELLEBORINEAS. Sepals imbricated in the bud, de¬ 
ciduous, rarely persistent, petal-like. Petals (nectaries of the 
earlier botanists) tubular, irregular, or 2-lipped, often none. 
Pods (follicles) few, rarely single, few-several-seeded.—Leaves 
all alternate. 
* Flower symmetrical. Pods several-seeded. 
8. Isopyrum. Petals none (in the American species). Pods few. 
Leaves compound. 
9. Caltha. Petals none. Pods several. Leaves kidney-shaped. 
10. Trollius. Petals minute, entire. Pods 8-15, sessile. 
11. Coptis. Petals small, hollowed at the apex, entire. Pods 3-7, 
stalked. Sepals deciduous. 
12. Helleborus. Petals 8-10, small, tubular, 2-Iipped. Pods sev¬ 
eral, sessile. Sepals 5, persistent, turning green with age. 
13. Aquilegia. Petals 5, longer than the 5 deciduous sepals, spur¬ 
shaped, tubular, symmetrical. Pods 5, tipped with long 
styles. 
* * Flower unsymmetrical. Pods several-seeded. 
14. Delphinium. Upper sepal spurred. Petals 4, of 2 forms. 
15. Aconitum. Upper sepal hooded, receiving the 2 long-clawed 
petals. 
* * * Flower symmetrical. Pods ripening only one seed. 
16. Zanthorhiza. Petals 5, small, 2-lobed, with claws. Stamens 
few. Flowers in drooping compound racemes, polygamous. 
Stems shrubby! 
Tribe 5. CIMICIFUGEiE. Sepals imbricated, falling off as the 
flower opens. Petals small and flat, or none. Pistils 1-sev¬ 
eral. Fruit a 2-several-seeded pod or berry. Leaves all al¬ 
ternate. 
17. Hydrastis. Flower solitary. Pistils several in a head, becom¬ 
ing berries in fruit, 2-seeded. Leaves simple, lobed. Petals 
none. 
18. Act^a. Flowers in a single short raceme. Pistil single, form¬ 
ing a many-seeded berry. Leaves 2-3-ternately compound. 
Petals manifest. 
19. Cimicifuga. Flowers in long spiked racemes. Pistils 1-8, 
in fruit forming dry several-seeded pods. Leaves 2 - 3-ter- 
nately compound. 
