usually numerous, seldom only 1, usually free, 1-celled; style simple; seeds 1 or more on the ventral suture, anatropous, erect with a ventral, or pendulous with a dorsal raphe. Fruit of 1-seeded achenes or many-seeded follicles. A large order dispersed all over the world, not rare in the tropics. Many species are acrid, and some highly poisonous, especially the Aconites.

TRIBE I.—CLEMATÍDEÆ.

Sepals valvate. Petals none, or narrow and staminoid. Carpels numerous, 1-seeded, indehiscent. Stem herbaceous or woody and climbing. Leaves opposite.

1. CLEMATIS.

A noble genus of woody or herbaceous climbing plants, with usually opposite, ternate, or pinnate leaves, and twining petioles sometimes transformed into tendrils. Flowers in terminal or axillary panicles, rarely solitary. Sepals normally 4, but often more numerous, especially in the cultivated forms, coloured lilac, violet, or white. Petals none, or very much reduced, and passing gradually into stamens, which are very numerous. Carpels with persistent often beautifully bearded styles, lengthening considerably after the flowers have. dropped. The species are numerous, and occur in the warm and temperate regions of the whole world. The name is of Greek origin.

1. C. Vitálba. Old Man's Beard, Lady's Bower. The only native species; very abundant in the South of England in chalky districts. Leaves of 3 or 5 ovate variously toothed or lobed leaflets. Flowers fragrant, greenish white, very numerous, about one inch across, appearing in August, and followed by the feathery carpels.

2. C. Flámmula.-A very beautiful species with pinnate leaves and small narrow lanceolate leaflets, and fragrant pure white flowers rather smaller than in the preceding. This is one of the commonest and oldest species in cultivation, and a very elegant plant for covering arbours and walls. A native of the South of Europe, flowering towards the end of Summer. There are several slight varieties of this species.

3. C. montana.-Also an old inhabitant of our gardens, having trifoliolate leaves on a long peduncle; leaflets oval, more or less obtusely 3-lobed, with a few scattered hairs, and white

solitary larger flowers. This species is a native of the South of Europe, and blooms in May, and valuable on that account.

4. C. Viórna (fig. 1). Leather Flower.-Flowers campanulate, leathery, of a yellowish white, washed with bright purple on the outside. From North America, flowering in August.

5. C. Hendersoni.-A garden form, probably of hybrid origin, with large solitary reddish-violet flowers about 2 inches across; sepals broadly lanceolate and strongly nerved. A very hardy plant, now replaced by some of the larger-flowered garden hybrids of recent production. A late bloomer. This is sometimes referred to C. Viticélla.

6. C. graveolens.-A small climbing undershrub, native of the higher mountains of Chinese Tartary. Leaves pinnately

3- to 5-foliolate; leaflets narrow, 3-lobed. Flowers solitary, yellow, of medium size. Perfectly hardy.

7. C. Viticélla (fig. 2).-One of the best old sorts, and, crossed with C. lanuginosa, one of the parents of most of the gorgeous varieties raised by Mr. Jackman and others. Flowers purple, violet, or rose, single or semi-double, produced throughout the Summer. A native of Spain.

8. C. alpina, syn. Atragene alpina.-A dwarf climber, 3 or 4 feet high, with triternate hairy leaves and solitary rather large violet-blue flowers. In this the petals are imperfectly developed, passing gradually into stamens, and it is some

times for that reason separated from Clématis. There is a white variety known as C. Sibirica. July.

9. C. integrifolia.-Stems dwarf, annual, with simple entire hairy leaves and solitary small blue flowers appearing in July. Native of the Pyrenees and mountains of Spain.

10. C. flórida.-A very beautiful Japanese plant, and an old inhabitant of our gardens, greatly modified by long cultivation. The leaves are composed of three or more oval leaflets, and the flowers are among the largest of the old sorts, solitary, single or double, pure white. The variety Sieboldii is a very ornamental plant, with white flowers having a purple-violet centre. The varieties of this plant are Summer bloomers and very handsome, but not so hardy as some others.

11. C. azurea, including C. cærulea and C. pàtens (fig. 3).-Another Japanese species with ternate or biternate leaves

Fig. 3. Clematis azurea. ( nat. size.)

and large solitary widely-expanded flowers 5 to 6 inches in diameter, composed of about 8 sepals in the single varieties. The normal tint is a pale blue or lilac, passing into white in some varieties. Amongst these varieties, monstròsa is remarkable for its semi-double flowers; Amalia has pale violet sepals, and Sophia is another single variety with immensely large and unusually broad sepals of a deep violet, with a longitudinal greenish band through the centre. This species is rather tender.

12. C. lanuginosa.- The leaves of this species are relatively large, and usually simple, broadly cordate, acute, glabrous above and hairy beneath. Flowers very large, solitary, formed of 6 or 8 spreading sepals of a palish blue or lilac. There is a variety of this known as pállida, with flowers not less than 9 or 10 inches across. A native of China, flowering in June. 13. C. Fortunei.-Like the last, of rather recent introduction, and also a very magnificent plant. Here the leaves are rather coriaceous, and usually 3-foliolate; leaflets cordate, rounded at

the apex. Flowers fragrant, white, about 6 inches across, consisting of about a hundred oblong-lanceolate stalked sepals. This is quite hardy.

Amongst the earlier hybrid varieties raised by Mr. G. Jackman, of Woking, who was, we believe, the first to institute experiments in crossing the species of this genus, we may mention rùbro-violacea, with broadly oval or almost orbicular sepals of a reddish purple; and Jackmánii, of a rich violet purple. Owing to the remarkable success of this gentleman, several other horticulturists have followed his example, and the result is that many new varieties are offered every year.

TRIBE II.-ANEMÒNEÆ.

Sepals imbricate. Carpels 1-seeded, indehiscent; seed pendulous, raphe dorsal. Herbs with radical or alternate leaves.

2. THALÍCTRUM.

Flowers

Erect graceful perennials. Leaves compound. small, numerous, in panicles or racemes. Sepals 4 or 5, petaloid. Petals absent. Stamens numerous, with long usually yellow conspicuous anthers projecting beyond the calyx. Carpels several, with one pendulous seed. A classical name of obscure derivation. Species numerous, widely spread.

1. Th. flavum. Meadow Rue.-About 3 feet high. Leaves dark green, much divided, with cuneate segments. A showy plant with bright yellow flowers. A British plant, flowering at Midsummer.

2. Th. minus.-The typical form of this species is a very elegant little plant, producing its graceful foliage in dense tufts. The flower-stem rises about a foot high, and the flowers are small and greenish white, sometimes tinged with red. Native of North Europe and Asia, including Britain.

3. Th. anemonoides, syn. Anemone thalictrodes.-A pretty dwarf species, resembling an Anemone, but destitute of an involucre. In this species the petaloid sepals are more conspicuous than the stamens. The flowers are white, umbellate; stems about a foot high, with a whorl of leaves at the base of the umbel. There is a double variety. North America.

4. Th. aquilegifòlium.-A handsome tall-growing species with much-divided glaucous leaves resembling those of the Columbine, and large stem-clasping stipules. There are two

varieties of this, one with purplish stems and flowers. Germany.

3. ANEMONE (including Hepática).

Perennial herbs. Leaves all radical, variously lobed and dissected. Flowers showy, blue, white, red, purple, or yellow. Scape usually 1-flowered, with a 3-leaved involucre distant or closer under the calyx. Sepals 4 to 10, petaloid. Petals undeveloped. Stamens numerous, outer ones sometimes petaloid. Carpels numerous, 1-seeded; seed pendulous. A large genus, whose species are chiefly confined to the northern hemisphere. A few reach South America and South Africa, and one is found in Australia. The Greek name of one of the species. We may conveniently divide the cultivated species into two sections, though other species not in cultivation connect these two sections.

§ 1. Involucre close under the sepals having the appearance of a true calyx, especially as the sepals are petaloid. HEPATICA.

1. A. Hepática, syn. Hepática triloba (fig. 4).-This familiar little plant with its glossy trilobed leaves and numerous blue

or pink or white single, and blue or pink double flowers, is an almost indispensable adjunct to the flower garden. Found wild in mountainous districts of Central and Southern Europe. Begins to bloom in February.

2. A. angulòsa.-A distinct and handsome hardy plant. Like the preceding, it grows in dense tufts, but this is a taller