Analysis of Petal Venation in Ranunculus. II. Number and Position of Dichotomies in R. repens var. pleniflorus

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Abstract
The venation pattern of the petals of Ranunculus repens var. pleniflorus was analyzed in terms of dichotomy number and position for six size-classes. Significant correlations were established between petal size (length, width, and area) and number of dichotomies. The latter is an approximate indication of the degree of venation complexity. The basic framework of petal venation is composed of a single trace which divides twice within a short interval at the petal base to produce three major veins. The midvein dichotomizes relatively little, compared to the two lateral veins. Within the laterals, dichotomies up to the sixth order are common, and seventh-order and eighth-order dichotomies occur rarely. At specific positions, dichotomies are statistically frequent; these are utilized to construct diagrammatic representations of "average" vein systems, which can be compared objectively between size-classes or with other taxa. In petals of all sizes there is a striking tendency toward amplification of the innermost shank of a dichotomy.

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