TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual, perennial herb, sometimes aquatic
Leaves generally basal and cauline, generally alternate, simple or compound; petioles at base generally flat, sometimes sheathing or stipule-like
Inflorescence: cyme, raceme, panicle, or flowers solitary
Flower generally bisexual, radial; sepals generally 5, free, early deciduous or withering in fruit, generally green; petals 0many, free; stamens generally 10many; pistils 1many, ovary superior, chamber 1, style 1, generally ± persistent in fruit as beak, ovules 1many
Fruit: achene, follicle, berry, or utricle-like, 1many-seeded
Genera in family: ± 60 genera, 1700 species: worldwide, especially n temp, tropical mtns; many ornamental (Adonis, Aquilegia, Clematis, Consolida, Delphinium, Erianthis, Helleborus ),some highly TOXIC (Aconitum, Actaea, Delphinium, Ranunculus )
Reference: [Duncan & Keener 1991 Phytologia 70:2427]
Annual generally from taproot
Stem generally 1, erect, branched to not
Leaves palmately or palmate-pinnately deeply lobed or dissected; cauline merging into bracts upward
Inflorescence: raceme, terminal; pedicels spreading to ascending
Flower bilateral; sepals 5, petal-like, white to blue or violet, uppermost spurred; petal 1, in color = sepals, tip generally lobed, arched over stamens, base with spur enclosed in uppermost sepal spur; pistil 1
Fruit: follicle
Seed brown to black, minutely scaly in rows
Species in genus: ± 40 species: Medit Eur, w Asia
Etymology: (Latin: consolidate, from reported ability to heal wounds)
Reference: [Keener 1976 Castanea 41:1220]
Segregated from Delphinium.