Page:The Flora of British India Vol 1.djvu/15



I. RANUNCULACEÆ. (By Hooker f. & Thomson.)

Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves radical or alternate (opposite in Clematideæ). Stipules 0, or adnate to the petiole, rarely free. Flowers regular or irregular, 1-2-sexual, rarely bracteate. Disk very rarely present (Pæonia). Sepals 5 or more, rarely 2-4, deciduous (persistent in Pæonia), often petaloid, imbricate (valvate in Clematis). Petals 0, or 3-5 or more, hypogynous, imbricate, often minute or deformed. Stamens hypogynous; anthers usually adnate and dehiscing laterally. Carpels usually many, free, 1-celled; stigma simple; ovules one or more on the ventral suture, anatropous, erect with a ventral or pendulous with a dorsal raphe. Fruit of numerous 1-seeded achenes, or many-seeded follicles, rarely a berry. Seed small, albumen copious ; embryo minute. — . Abundant in temperate and cold regions; genera 30, known species about 300.

I. Clematideæ. Erect or climbing shrubs. Leaves opposite. Sepals petaloid, valvate. Carpels 1-ovuled; ovule pendulous. Fruit of many achenes.

Petals 1. Clematis. Petals many, linear 2. Navaveua.

Tribe II. Anexnoneee. Herbs. Leaves radical or alternate. Sepals petaloid, imbricate. Carpels 1-ovuled ; ovule pendulous. Fruit of many achenes. Petals 0, flowers involucrate 3. Anemone. Petals 0, flowers not involucrate 4. Thalictkum. Petals 5-15, wiih a nectariferous pit 5. Callianthemum. Petals 5-16, with no nectariferous pit 6. Adonis.

Tribe III. Ranunculeae. Herbs. Leaves radical or alternate. Sepals herbaceous, imbricate. Carpels 1-ovuled ; ovules erect. Fruit of many achenes. Sepals 3-5, deciduous, petals usually 5. . 7. Ranunculu-*. Sepals 5 persistent, petals 10-15 8. Oxygraphis.

Tribe IV. Helleboreae. Herbs or undcrshrubs. Leaves alternate. Sepals petaloid or herbaceous, imbricate. Carpels several, many-ovuled. Fruit of 1 or more follicles (berried in Adoea). VOL. I. ' B