RANUNCULACE#. XXIX. Aconitum. 
73 A. vurpa RIA (Rchb. uebers. p. 70. ill. t. 56, 57, and 58.) 
spur spiral ; helmet cylindrical, large ; beak streached out, acute. 
y.H. Native of the Cevennes. A. Lycéctonum £, glabriflo- 
rum, D.C. syst. p. 369. A. Lyc. y, grandiflérum, Ser. mus. 
helv. 1. p. 134. A. réctum, Bernhardi ex Schleich. A. lupicida, 
theridphonum, Rchb. ueber. These two last are hardly varieties. 
Stem smooth, or alittle pubescent. Leaves 3 or 5-lobed, ciliated. 
Racemes crowded, furnished with lateral racemules. Flowers 
pale yellow, smooth. Ovaries 3, smooth. 
Var. B, phthora (Rchb. uebers. p. 71.) flowers yellow. %. H. 
Nativeof Hungary. A. Lycéctonum, Rochel. 
Var. y, cynéctonum (Rchb. uebers. p. 73.) flowers panicled, 
numerous, yellow ; stems and flowers smoothish. Y%.H. Na- 
tive of Thuringia. A. Lycéctonum, Leysser.—Blackw. t. 563. 
Var. 6, galéctonum (Rchb. uebers. p. 67.) flowers yellow. 
Capsules pubescent. 4%. H. Native of Hungary. 
Var. €, tragoctonum (Rchb. uebers. p. 70.) flowers yellow, 
panicled ; capsules smooth. %. H. Native of Carinthia. A. 
pytamidale, Hoppe. 
Var. ¢, rubictindum (Fisch. in litt. Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 135. 
D.C. prod. 1. p. 58. Lycóctonum, var. «, rubicúndum) flowers pa- 
nicled, livid-violet, variegated with yellow ; helmet conico-cylin- 
drical, compressed ; flowers and peduncles villous. Ovaries pilose, 
elongated. 4%. H. Native of Siberia. 
Var. n, Carpathicum (Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 136. Lycéctonum, 
var.) flowers panicled, of a lurid purple colour, sometimes va- 
negated with yellow; helmet conico-cylindrical, compressed ; 
stems and peduncles smooth; leaves profoundly cut. YJ. H. 
Native of the Carpathian mountains. A. septentrionale 8, Carpa- 
thicum, D. C. syst. 1. p. 370. Sims, bot. mag. t. 2196. A. 
austràle, Rchb. ueber. p 71. 
bl Var. 9, septentrionàle (Willd. spe. 2. p. 1235.) flowers panicled, 
le helmet conico-cylindrical, compressed ; flowers and pedun- 
Lan] villous; ovaries smooth or pilose? X4. H. Native of 
S p'and, Norway, and Siberia. A. Lycóctonum p, septentrionale, 
er mus. helv. 1. p. 136. 
Var. t, Moldévicum (Haquet. Rchb. uebers. p. 67.) flowers 
Pe violet ; helmet cylindrical, compressed ; ovaries silky- 
hn Y.H. Native of Moldavia and Bohemia. 
ied Aconite. Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt. 1800. Pl. 1-3 ft. 
helmet q EXcE LsuM (Rchb. ill. t. 53.) spur spiral; bottom of 
short c’avate, and with the beak elongated ; middle sepals very 
Stem at: H. Native of Russia near Moscow in shady groves. 
ves pader, 6-8 feet high or more, furrowed, puberulous. 
very lo he thin, a little pubescent, smoothish above. Racemes 
colour ng, loose, many-flowered. Flowers large, of a livid violet- 
. varies 3, smooth ? 
Tall Aconite. 
T5 A. 
spiral; b 
u . , , . , 
zerana. Particularly in Austria, Bavaria, Transylvania, and Swit- 
A. luparia, Rchb. uebers. 74? A. 
A. lagéctonum, Rchb. ueber. 71. A. 
l. A. Lycóctonum, Elwert, fasc. 
i Gan D. C. syst. 1. p. 369. and other authors, but not of 
re, fruct, 1. p.311. t.65. A. Pyrenàicum and réctum, 
P. 132, ¢ l5 ycoctonum, var. a, vulgàre, Ser. mus. helv. 1. 
hairs, his, a f. 5,6. 4. 8. Stem 4+ to 6 feet pubescent, with yellow 
00se, fars: hed the base. Leaves 7-parted, ciliated. Racemes 
yellow ab ed with a few axillary racemules. Flowers large, 
scent,» escent, or smooth. Ovaries 3, smooth, rarely pu- 
Var, -gx 
ced, of : flòrum, plant smoothish ; flowers spiked or pani- 
arched; oyar helmet short and broad; hairs of peduncles 
mes smooth, %. H. Native on the Alps of Bern. 
XXIX. (2) Niroisra. 63 
A. Lycéctonum 9, latiflorum, Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 135. D.C. 
prod. 1. p. 58. 
Var. y, ramostssimum ; stem much branched, and is, as well as 
the peduncles, smooth; flowers yellow ; helmet conico-cylindri- 
cal, compressed ; ovaries smooth. ¥.H. Native of the Alps 
of Bern. A. Lycoctonum.:, ramosissimum, Ser. in D. C. prod. 
1. p. 58. 
Var. 6, Seringei; flowers panicled, yellow ; helmet elongated, 
cylindrical, inclined, deformed; stem and peduncles smoothish ; 
spur broad; leaves large, smoothishh %. H. Native of the 
Alps of Bern. A. Lyc6éctonum, var. Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 137. 
D. C. prod. 1. p. 58. last variety. 
Female’s-bane Aconite. Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt.1821. Pl. 4 to 6 ft. 
76 A. tyco’cronum (Lin. spec. 532. Rchb. ill. t. 52.) spur 
subannular ; bottom of helmet cylindrical; beak elongated, 
stretched out; middle and lower sepals equal in length. YJ. H. 
Native of Lapland, Sweden, Norway, &c. A. Lycoctonum, var. 
fl. cær. Strom. scand. 1. p. 67. Gunn. norv. no. 14. Oed. fl. 
dan. t. 123. Wahl. Lapp. 275. A. septentrionale, Keelle, 
spicel. p. 22. no.9. D.C. syst. 1. p. 370. Stem slender, sim- 
ple, quite upright, pubescent. Leaves large, 7-parted. Racemes 
more or less pubescent, branched at the base. Flowers largeish, 
of a livid-violet colour. Ovaries 3, smooth. 
A decoction or the powder of the root of this plant is used 
for destroying flies and other insects. Linnzeus gives an account 
of its being eaten in Medelpadia, a province of Sweden, without 
injury. It seems indeed to be milder than some of the other spe- 
cies; and goats and horses are said to eat it. 
True Wolf’s-bane Aconite. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1596. PI. 
4-6 feet. 
Cult. All the species of Aconite are of easy culture. They 
are very ornamental, and are well adapted for ornamenting flower 
borders. Most of them will grow under the shade of trees, 
therefore they are proper to plant in ornamental woods and wil- 
dernesses. They are easily increased by separating the roots or 
by seeds. 
Plants referred to Caltha by F. Hamilton, M.D., to which,’ 
from the descriptions, they do not appear to belong. We there- 
Jore propose the name Nirbisia for the genus. 
XXIX. (2) NIRBISIA (Nirbishi or Nirbikhi, the aboriginal 
name of one of the species). Caltha Hamilt. in edinb. jour. 
scienc. vol. 1. Aug. 1824. p. 249. 
Lin. syst. Polydndria, Tetragyna. 
cave, thick, obtuse, coloured, petal-like sepals. 
Stamens numerous, very short. Ovaries 4, awl-shaped. Styles 
thick, awl-shaped, crowned by simple, acute stigmas. Capsules 
4 awl-shaped, many-seeded. Smooth plants with tuberous roots, 
cordate or peltate alternate leaves and terminal panicles of small 
greenish or yellowish flowers. Qualities poisonous. 
1 N. Br'sma ; stem simple, smooth; cauline leaves numerous, 
stalked, cordate, roundish, smooth, somewhat 5-nerved and veiny, 
5-lobed ; lobes cuneated, cut at the apex ; petioles very long, 
stem-clasping at the base. 2%. F. Native of Nipaul on the 
Himalaya Mountains at the river Kosi. Caltha Bisma, Hamilt. 
l.c. Panicle terminal; peduncles elongated, few-flowered, rising 
from the top of the stems or from the axils of the upper 
leaves. Bracteas sessile, trifid, small, situated a little below the 
flower. Flowers small, erect, green, blackish on the outside. Se- 
pals 4, thickish, rude. Bishma, Bikhma, Bish, or Bikh, is the 
name of the plant in Nipaul. 
The root of this plant is truly poisonous, and is used by the 
inhabitants of Nipaul, near the river Kosi, (the Corkhalese) to 
poison their darts, and they regard it as their most powerful 
means of repelling the invasions of their enemies, by the fa- 
cility with which they can impoison water with it. 
Calyx of 4, ovate, con- 
Petals wanting. 
