76. _ ELEMENTARY BOTANY 
RANUNCULACE:. 
The Buttercur (hanunculus bulbosus) may be 
taken as a type of this Order. 
It is a perennial herb with a stem about a foot in height, 
and forming a bulb at its base. Some leaves are radical. 
The cauline leaves are alternate, simple, and very much 
divided. The infloresceme is a cyme; the flower is regular 
and hypogynous (Fig. 34). 
Calyx (sepals) : 5, free, inferior, turning back as soon as the 
. flower opens. By this means 
it is easy to distinguish this 
species of buttercup from 
the two others which com- 
monly occur in meadows 
—Ranunculus acris and re- 
pens. 
— Corolla (petals): 5, free, 
hypogynous, glossy yellow, 
with a nectary at the base of 
AS “li each petal. 
Fig. 96.—FLoRAL DIAGRAM OF Andrecium (stamens) : 
BUTTERCUP. 
The dot denotes position of stem. sciatic EPSE,- By POE) MOUS 
spirally arranged. 
Gynecium (carpels): numerous, free, superior, one-seeded, 
placentation basal 
Other Other common plants belonging to this Order 
Plants. are: Water-crowfoot, Lesser Celandine, Spearwort, 
Corn Buttercup ; these all belong to the genus Ranunculus. 
Wood-anemone, Marsh Marigold, Clematis, are also very 
abundant. Columbine, Hellebore, Monkshood, Larkspur, 
Globeflower are found wild, but not commonly. 
Rue, Pasque Anemone, Pheasant’s Eye, Mousetail, Baneberry, 
Peony are very local, that is, they are found wild only in a 
few spots in Britain. Rue and Peony are much cultivated in 
gardens. 
Type. 

