| 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 0–many, free; stamens generally 10–many; pistils 1–many, ovary superior, chamber 1, style 1, generally ± persistent in fruit as beak, ovules 1–many
Fruit: achene, follicle, berry, or utricle-like, 1–many-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 70:24–27]
Perennial from clustered, slender to fusiform or ± spheric, fleshy roots, glabrous
Stem ascending to erect; branches 0–few
Leaves 1–3- ternate; leaflet upper surface green, lower surface pale green to glaucous, segments generally wedge-shaped; basal 0–few, petioles generally > blade; cauline petioles short to ± 0
Inflorescence: cyme, flat-topped, to flowers solitary in CA, terminal or axillary
Flower bisexual, radial; sepals generally 5, petal-like; petals generally 0; stamens 10–many; pistils 2–many, stalk-like base 0 or short
Fruit: follicles, glabrous; veins obvious, stalk-like base 0 to obvious, curved or not; beak straight to recurved
Seed brown, smooth to wrinkled
Species in genus: ± 30 species: temp North America, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: ancient name, from grain-like fruit)
Reference: [Calder & Taylor 1963 Madroño 17:69–76]