The World Flora Online

Herbs perennial or annual, sometimes subshrubs or herbaceous or woody vines. Leaves basal and cauline, alternate, rarely opposite or whorled, simple or variously compound, palmately nerved, rarely penninerved, with or without stipules. Inflorescence a simple or compound monochasium, dichasium, simple or compound raceme, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, sometimes unisexual, actinomorphic, rarely zygomorphic, hypogynous. Sepals 3--6 or more, free, petaloid or sepaloid, imbricate or sometimes valvate in bud. Petals present or absent, 2--8 or more, free, usually with nectaries. Stamens numerous, rarely few, free; filaments linear or filiform; anthers latrorse, introrse, or extrorse; sometimes some sterile stamens becoming staminodes. Carpels numerous or few, rarely 1, free, rarely connate to various degrees; ovary with 1 to many ovules. Fruit follicles or achenes, rarely capsules or berries. Seeds small, with abundant endosperm and minute embryo.

Stamens numerous, free from one another; anthers dehiscing longitudinally Carpels numerous, free or rarely partially connate, with a slightly bifid style or subsessile stigma Petals when present often with a nectariferous claw Seeds small, usually smooth; embryo very small, at the base of horny or fleshy endosperm Ovules numerous or solitary Fruit a bunch of follicles, rarely baccate, or of dry achenes with often persistent and elongated styles Indumentum of simple hairs Flowers hermaphrodite, hypogynous, usually actinomorphic Perianth usually double, of calyx and corolla, or rarely the calyx petaloid and the petals absent Sepals imbricate or valvate Perennial (rarely annual) herbs with alternate leaves, or rarely shrubs or climbers with opposite leaves; stipules absent Carpels numerous, free or rarely partially connate, with a slightly bifid style or subsessile stigma Petals when present often with a nectariferous claw Seeds small, usually smooth; embryo very small, at the base of horny or fleshy endosperm Ovules numerous or solitary Fruit a bunch of follicles, rarely baccate, or of dry achenes with often persistent and elongated styles Indumentum of simple hairs Flowers hermaphrodite, hypogynous, usually actinomorphic Perianth usually double, of calyx and corolla, or rarely the calyx petaloid and the petals absent Sepals imbricate or valvate Perennial (rarely annual) herbs with alternate leaves, or rarely shrubs or climbers with opposite leaves; stipules absent

Herbes'vivaces ou annuelles à feuilles alternes ou radicales, parfois suffrutex ou lianes à feuilles opposées.'Feuilles'simples, entières ou diversement découpées ou composées; stipules absentes, rarement rudimentaires.'Fleurs'actinomorphes ou parfois zygomorphes, hypo-gynes, ☿ ou parfois plantes polygames ou même dioïques; périanthe composé ordinairement d'un calice et d'une corolle; sépales imbriqués ou valvaires, parfois pétaloïdes, généralement 5, aussi 3, 4, 6 ou davantage, caducs ou persistants; pétales 5, ou plus ou moins, parfois nuls, souvent munis d'un onglet nectarifère; étamines ordinairement ∞, libres; anthères à déhiscence longitudinale; carpelles 1 à ∞, libres ou parfois partiellement connés en un ovaire pluriloculaire; ovules anatropes, nombreux ou solitaires, dans ce cas pendants ou dressés.'Akènes'ou follicules parfois soudés à la base en une capsule pluriloculaire, rarement baies; styles souvent persistants et accrescents.'Graines petites, généralement lisses; embryon très petit, situé à la base de l'albumen.\n\t\t\tFamille représentée surtout dans les régions tempérées et froides de l'hémisphère nord, peu abondante dans l'hémisphère sud, rare en régions tropicales. La plupart des espèces congolaises appartiennent à des genres répandus surtout dans l'hémisphère nord, sauf les'Clematopsis endémiques en Afrique; elles sont localisées en majeure partie dans les régions montagneuses de l'Est et du Sud de la Colonie. Environ 1.200 espèces réparties en une quarantaine de genres; 5 genres, 23 espèces et 2 variétés sont actuellement connus au Congo belge.

Fls hypogynous, regular (except Aconitum and Delphinium), with all parts free and distinct (pistils connate in Nigella); sep usually imbricate, in some genera small and soon deciduous, in others petal-like; pet present or absent; stamens usually numerous, often some of them modified into nectariferous staminodes, these when larger and more showy called pet; pistils 1–many, simple; stigma lateral or terminal; fr an achene, utricle, follicle, or berry; seeds with copious endosperm and small, dicotyledonous embryo, or sometimes with larger embryo and little or no endosperm; mostly herbs, seldom shrubs or woody vines, the lvs usually alternate, sometimes opposite or whorled, or all basal, often cleft or compound. 50/2000.

Seeds without arils, with endosperm Fruits achenes, drupelets, follicles, or capsules Petals sometimes absent, if present free, hypogynous, some nectariferous Sepals free, hypogynous, sometimes petaloid Carpels indefinite in number, few, or solitary, free or more or less joined together (if not solitary), with one or several ovules Stamens indefinite in number, hypogynous Leaves frequently compound with sheathing bases and most often without stipules, spirally arranged or opposite Herbs or woody climbers or subshrubs Flowers regular or irregular Inflorescence generally terminal and many flowered, more rarely with few flowers, or these solitary Fruits achenes, drupelets, follicles, or capsules Petals sometimes absent, if present free, hypogynous, some nectariferous Sepals free, hypogynous, sometimes petaloid Carpels indefinite in number, few, or solitary, free or more or less joined together (if not solitary), with one or several ovules Stamens indefinite in number, hypogynous Leaves frequently compound with sheathing bases and most often without stipules, spirally arranged or opposite Herbs or woody climbers or subshrubs Flowers regular or irregular Inflorescence generally terminal and many flowered, more rarely with few flowers, or these solitary

SELECTED REFERENCES

Brayshaw, T. C. 1989. Buttercups, Waterlilies, and Their Relatives (the Order Ranales) in British Columbia. Victoria. [Roy. Brit. Columbia Mus. Mem. 1.] Duncan, T. and C. S. Keener. 1991. A classification of the Ranunculaceae with special reference to the Western Hemisphere. Phytologia 70: 24-27. Tamura, M. 1963. Morphology, ecology and phylogeny of the Ranunculaceae I. Sci. Rep. Coll. Gen. Educ. Osaka Univ. 11: 115-126. Tamura, M. 1993. Ranunculaceae. In: K. Kubitzki et al., eds. 1990+. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. 2+ vols. Berlin etc. Vol. 2, pp. 563-583. Ziman, S. N. and C. S. Keener. 1989. A geographical analysis of the family Ranunculaceae. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 76: 1012-1049.

Herbs, sometimes woody or herbaceous climbers or low shrubs , perennial or annual, often rhizomatous. Stems unarmed. Leaves usually basal and cauline, alternate or sometimes opposite, rarely whorled, simple or variously compound; stipules present or absent; petioles usually present, often proximally sheathing. Leaf blade undivided or more commonly divided or compound, base cordate, sometimes truncate or cuneate, margins entire, toothed, or incised; venation pinnate or palmate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemes, cymes, umbels, panicles, or spikes, or flowers solitary, flowers pedicellate or sessile. Flowers bisexual, sometimes unisexual, inconspicuous or showy, radially or bilaterally symmetric; sepaloid bracteoles absent; perianth hypogynous; sepals usually imbricate, 3-6(-20), distinct, often petaloid and colored, occasionally spurred; petals 0-26, distinct (connate in Consolida ), plane, cup-shaped, funnel-shaped, or spurred, conspicuous or greatly reduced; nectary usually present, rarely absent; stamens 5-many, distinct; anthers dehiscing longitudinally; staminodes absent (except in Aquilegia and Clematis ); pistils 1-many; styles present or absent, often persistent in fruit as beak. Fruits achenes, follicles, or rarely utricles, capsules, or berries, often aggregated into globose to cylindric heads. Seeds 1-many per ovary, never stalked, not arillate; endosperm abundant; embryo usually small.

Flowers actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, bisexual or sometimes polygamous or dioecious Inflorescences generally terminal and many-flowered or more rarely with few or solitary flowers Leaves simple or compound, entire, lobed or dissected, usually with sheathing bases Annual or perennial herbs with radical and alternate or spiral leaves, or shrublets or woody climbers with opposite or verticillate leaves Petals free, sometimes nectariferous, often absent Sepals free, often petaloid Carpels indefinite in number, few or solitary, free or more or less united; ovules 1-several Stamens indefinite in number; anthers attached at the base, dehiscing longitudinally Seeds with endosperm Fruit usually of achenes, drupelets or follicles, rarely a capsule or berry Inflorescences generally terminal and many-flowered or more rarely with few or solitary flowers Leaves simple or compound, entire, lobed or dissected, usually with sheathing bases Annual or perennial herbs with radical and alternate or spiral leaves, or shrublets or woody climbers with opposite or verticillate leaves Petals free, sometimes nectariferous, often absent Sepals free, often petaloid Carpels indefinite in number, few or solitary, free or more or less united; ovules 1-several Stamens indefinite in number; anthers attached at the base, dehiscing longitudinally Seeds with endosperm Fruit usually of achenes, drupelets or follicles, rarely a capsule or berry