Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/47

Ranunculus.]

Herbs with petioled entire lobed or dissected leaves and yellow or white flowers. Sepals 3–5, deciduous. Petals usually about 5, but varying in number from 4 to 20, with 1–3 glandular pits or scales near the base. Stamens many. Carpels usually numerous; styles short; ovules solitary, ascending. Achenes numerous, 1-seeded, collected into a globular or ovoid head, tipped with the persistent straight or recurved style.