RANUNCULALES

buttercup order of dicotyledonous flowering plants, a division of the subclass Magnoliidae. The order contains 8 families, 167 genera, and about 3,200 species. They range from annual and perennial herbs, to herbaceous or woody vines, to shrubs, and, in a very few cases, to small trees. The families are Ranunculaceae, Circaeasteraceae, Berberidaceae, Sargentodoxaceae, Lardizabalaceae, Menispermaceae, Coriariaceae, and Sabiaceae. The Ranunculales are of considerable interest because they are abundant in most temperate areas, often forming a characteristic element of the floras. They also include many ornamentals, which are grown in gardens in many parts of the world. Several species are common and noxious weeds, particularly in Europe and North America; indeed, many species contain compounds (mainly alkaloids) that are poisonous to humans or to livestock. Some of these compounds are also important in folk medicine. the buttercup order of flowering plants, containing 8 families, 167 genera, and approximately 3,000 species. The Ranunculales order contains short-lived annuals, perennial herbs of longer or shorter duration, and long-lasting woody shrubs and climbers. Its members occupy a wide range of habitats, including fresh water, marshes, grasslands, forests, and mountain pastures, and ranging from tropical to arctic climates. The Menispermaceae family is chiefly tropical; other families prefer cooler climates. Many species are cultivated as garden ornamentals. The buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, is the largest family in the order. Consisting mostly of herbaceous plants, its members grow mainly in temperate and cold areas of the world. Many well-known wild and cultivated flowers belong to this group. Wild buttercups (Ranunculus), with their bright yellow blossoms, are distributed over a wide range; marsh marigolds (Caltha), also known as cowslips, or kingcups, grow in wet places on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean; and columbines (Aquilegia) are among the most beautiful wildflowers of North America. The Anemone genus includes wild anemones native to the North Temperate Zone as well as cultivated varieties. The larkspurs (Delphinium) include annuals and perennials cultivated for their strikingly showy flowers. The hellebores (Helleborus) include the Christmas rose (H. niger), a southern European native planted in northern gardens for its midwinter blooms. Aconite, or monkshood (Aconitum), a hardy perennial of northern mountains, is also called wolfsbane because of its toxic nature; the species A. ferox contains one of the deadliest poisons known. The barberry family, Berberidaceae, includes herbs and shrubs that grow in most temperate parts of the world. A majority of species belong to the shrubby Berberis genus. Many cultivated barberry shrubs are handsome, spiny evergreens, with yellow flowers followed by red berries. Most species of Menispermaceae, the moonseed family, are woody climbers in tropical forests, although some genera extend into temperate regions in North America and Japan. The common moonseed (Menispermum canadense) and other members of the family have characteristic half-moon-shaped seeds. Members of the Ranunculales order vary widely in structure, but they share several features: they are either herbaceous or softly woody; their leaves are usually alternately arranged and lack stipules (leaflike appendages at the bases of the leaf stalks); flower petals and sepals are usually arranged spirally, as are the characteristically numerous stamens (male); several free carpels (female) are arranged spirally or in a circular whorl; and alkaloids are regularly present. Seed dispersal is accomplished in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of the fruit, which can be a follicle, achene, berry, or drupe. In plants with fleshy berries, foraging animals and birds gather the fruits and distribute the seeds. The seeds of dry fruits must be dispersed more passively. Some have spiny projections that stick to animal fur; others are winged or plumed to be blown through the air. Some genera have podlike fruits that gradually spill out their seeds when agitated by the wind.