This species was taken up by M. De Candolle, in the 
first volume of his Siidciua, without having seen specimens, 
upon the authority of Willdenow, who had first, in his 
Species Plantarum^ distinguished it as a particular variety 
of A. viridiflora, and afterwards in his Enumeration of the 
plants in the Berlin garden, raised it to the rank of a 
species. M. De Candolle at*the same time described from 
Patrin's Herbarium, a plant collected in Dahuria, which he 
called A. Daourica, under which appellation we find it 
subsequently figured in Baron Delessert's valuable illustra- 
■tionsof De Candolle's w ork. But it appears, that before 
the preparation of the materials for his Frodromus, the 
learned Professor discovered the specific identity of his 
A. Daourica, and Willdenow's A. atro-purpurea. In the 
last-mentioned woi k, we therefore find the former arranged 
as a variety of the latter, and distinguished by its exserted 
styles ; and an addition of a third variety, communicated 
by Dr. Fischer as A. atro-purpurea. The difference 
between these tw o last supposed varieties of A. atropur- 
purea is stated to depend upon the leaves of /3 (-4. daourica) 
being smooth, while those of Dr. Fischer's plant are villous 
beneath. But among the various individuals which we 
examined at the time our drawing was made, w^e observed 
the lower side of the leaves to vary much in degree of 
pubescence, from being almost villous to being quite smooth. 
We have, therefore, ventured to unite the varieties j3 and 
y into one. We also remarked so much variation in the 
length of the styles, that w^e cannot help entertaining 
doubts of the separation even of (3 from a. 
A perennial herbaceous plant, 1 foot to 1^ foot high. 
Leaves erect, on long stalks, a little shorter than the 
scape ; petiole twice trifid, the leaflets cuneate, 3-lobed, 
and 2 or 3 -toothed, smooth above, and more or less hairy 
beneath. Scape erect, leafy, simple, or with 2 or 3 divi- 
sions. Flowers campanulate, nodding, brovmish-purple. 
Sepals oblong, blunt, greenish, as long as the truncated 
petals. Spurs straight, thickened at the end, and a little 
bent inwards, somewhat shorter than petals. Styles ex- 
serted. 
J. L. 
