76 ELEMENTARY BOTANY 
RANUNCULACEAE. 
The Buttercup (Ranunculus 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 inflorescence 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 
each petal. 
Fic. 96.—FLorAL DIAGRAM OF Andrecium (stamens) : 
BUTTERCUP. 
The dot denotes position of stem. 
Type. 

numerous, free, hypogynous, 
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. 
