D 



E L 



DECORTICATION^ is the pulling off che out- I entire lobes. Delphinium platani folio, ftaphyfagrii 



ward bark of trees, alfo the peeling or barking of 



roots* 



DELPHINIUM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 602. Tourn. 

 Inft. R. H. 426. tab. 241. [AfA^li/, Cr. a dolphin ^ 

 fo called, becaufe the flower, before it opens, re- 

 femblcs a dolphin. It is called Confolida Regalis, 

 from its confolidating virtue. Cafpar Bauhin calls 

 it the Royal Plant, becaufe it has its cup turned 



' backwards, like a nobleman's badge. C^efalpinus, 

 Pliny, and the poets fay, this plant is the true Hya- 



■ cinth, becaufe it has the fyllable ai infcribcd on its 

 fiower, which is a particle of bewailing,] Larkfpur, 

 or Larkfheel. 



The Characters are, 

 nc fo-iver hath no empalement \ it is compofed of five 

 unequal petals placed circularly \ the upper petal is ex- 

 tended at the hinder part into a tubular obtufe tail \ the 

 two fide petals arc nearly of the fame fiize with the upper-, 

 but the two lower are fmaller ; thefe fpread open. There 

 is a bifid necfarium fituated in the center of the petals,, 

 {ind is involved in the tube by the back part, Thefiower 

 hath many fmall ftamina which incline to the petals., and 

 are terminated by fmall ereB fummits \ it hath three 

 cval germen., fupporting th'ee ftyles which are as long as 

 the ftamina., crowned by reflexed ftigmas -, the germen af- 

 terward become fo many capfules joined together^ which 

 open ■ crcjfvays^ each having one cell filled with angular 

 feeds. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the third feftion' 

 of Linnasus's thirteenth clafs, intitled Polyandria Tri- 

 gynia, the flower having many ftamina and three 

 ftyles 



The SrrciES are. 



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1. Delphinium {Confolida) neftariis monophyllis, caule 

 fubdivifo. Hort. ClilF. 217. Larkfpur with a one-leaved 

 ncoiarium and a divided ftalk, ■ Delphinium fegetum. 

 Tourn. Inft. 426. Corn Larkfpur^ and the ConioYid?^ 

 regalis arvenfis. C. B. P. 142. Field Royal Confound. 



2, Delphinium {Ajacia) -iiieftariis mbnqphyllis,' - caule 



' fimplici. Larkfpur with a one-leaved neSlariumy and an 

 :. ere5l ftalk, x Delphinium liortenfe, flore majore & 

 --^ iTmplici'^cseruleo. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 426. Garden 



tSZMrkJpur, with a larger fingle blue flower. 

 •3. Delphinium {Ambiguum) ne6tariis monophyllis, caule 



:- ramofo. Larkfpur with a one-leaved necfarium and a 



" branching ftalk. Delphinium elatius purpuro viola- 

 . ceiim. Suvert. Flor. Branched Larkfpur. 

 4. Delphinium {Peregrinmn) neftariis diphyllis corollis 

 enneapetalis capfulis teretis, foliis multipartitis ob- 

 • tufis. Hort. Cliff. 213. Larkfpur with a two-leaved 

 ■ ne^ariumy a flower with eleven petals and three capfules 



obtufe feg7i 



Delphi- 



*^ num latifolium, parvo flore. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 426. 



i ''Broad-leaved Larkfpur with a fmall flower. 



'5. Delphinium (Elatum) neftariis diphyllis, labellijs bi- 



fidis, apice barbatis, foliis incifis, caule ere6to. Hort. 

 ' Upfal. 151.^ Larkfpur with a two-leaved ne^arium., a 



bifid lip^ bearded at the top, cut leaves^ and an ere^ ftalk. 



' Delphinium perenne montanum villofum, aconiti 



- folio. Tourn. Inft. 42S. Perennial hairy Mountain 



Larkfpur with a Monkfhood leaf., commonly called the Bee 

 : Larkfpur Mj''- :.'* • - -^ : > :■-..■- k - 



^. Delphinium {Grandifloru'm) neftaris diphyllis, labellis 

 ' integris, floribus fubfolitariis, foliis compbfitis li- 

 ■ neari-multipartitis. Hort. Upfal. 150. Larkfpur with 

 '. ■ a two-leaved ne^arium.,' an' entire lip, flowers growing 

 fingly^ and compound leaves divided into many"^ narrow 

 ' parts. Delphinium humilius anguftifolium pererirle, 

 ' flore azureo. Amman. Dwarf narrow-leaved perennial 

 ■- Lctrkfpur with an azure fl.cwer. ' - 



7. Delphiniup^ {Americamm) neclariis diphyllis, la- 

 bellis integris, floribus fpicatis, foliis palmatis iiiul- 

 tifi^is glabris. Plate 119. Larkfpur with a two4eaved 



. ne^arium^ an entire lip, flowers growing infpikes, and pal- 

 mated, multifid, fmooth leaves, commonly called American 

 Larkfpur. - ■■ 



8. Delphinium {Staphifagria) neaariis diphyllis, foliis 

 palmatis, lobis integris. Hort. Clifi-. 213. Larkfpur 



'th a twc-leaved empalement, and pahnated leaves having 



didlum. Tourn. Inft. R, H. 428. Larkfpur with a 

 Plane-tree leaf, called Stavefacre. 

 The feveral Varieties of the Garden Larkfpur are not 

 here enumerated, as they would fwell the work be- 

 yond its intended bulk, if all thefe were diftinguifhed 

 therefore here are only the diftinft fpecies mentioned • 

 and as the gardeners diftinguifti the Garden Larkfpurs 

 into thofe which are branched, and fuch as have up- 

 right ftalks i which difference is permanent, and 

 never alters, whatever may be afferted to the con- 

 trary by ignorant pretenders; fo I fliall juft mention 

 the feveral varieties which there are of each fort 

 commonly cultivated in the gardens of the curious. 

 And firft of the branched Larkfpur, there are of the 

 following colours, with fingle and double flowers. 

 Blue, purple, white, flefli, Afli, and Rofe colours ; 

 and fome have flowers beautifully fpotted, with two 

 or three of thefe difl'erent colours. 

 The upright or unbranched Larkfpur, produces a 

 greater variety of colours than the branched, and the 

 flowers are larger and fuller than thofe; but the 

 principal colours run nearly the fame with thofe of 

 the other, though many of the colours are deeper, 

 and there are more diff^erent fliades of thefe colours 

 in the flowers of this fort. 



The firft fort grows naturally on arable lands, in 

 France, Spain, and Italy, and is fuppofed to be the 

 fame as the Garden Larkfpur, which is a great mif- 

 take ; for I have cultivated it many years in the gar- 

 den, and never found it alter : the leaves of this fort 

 are broader, and not fo much divided as thofe of the 



■ 'garden kind, and are placed thinner upon the ftalks ; 



'the flowers are fmaller, and grow in longer fpikes; 



.the ftalks are not fo much branched as that fort which 

 is called the branched, nor are they fingle like the 

 upright, fo that I think it maj' be allowed to be a 



"different fpecies, - -.^. . ^ 





^ ^^ «^ 



w 4 * '' ^ 



r- -The fecond fort Hath upright ftalks, which fcarcepuc 

 out any branches ; the fpikes of flowers grow ereft, 

 and the flowers arc placed very clofe together, fo that 

 they make a fine appearance. Thefe plants flower in . 

 ' July and Auguft, and are very great ornaments to 

 the borders of the flower-garden. - ■ 



The branching Larkfpur, which is the third fort, 

 comes later to flower than the upright -, this rifes with 

 a very branching ftalk tluee feet high or more; the 

 branches come, out horizontally from the fide of the 

 ftalks, but afterward turn that part on which the 

 Ipike of flowers grow, which is at the extremity up- 

 ward, fo as to' make an angle ; the leaves are long 

 and finely divided ; the flowers are placed thinner in 

 the fpikes than thofe of the upright fort; they are 

 large, and fome of them very double and of various 

 colours. 



f * I - 



Thefe plants are annual, fo are every year propagated 

 by feeds, which ftiouid be fown where the plants are 

 defigned to remain, for they do not bear tranfplanting 

 well, cfpecially if they are not removed very youn 

 thofe feeds which are fown in autumn, produce tne 

 ■ftrongeft plants and moft double flowers, and ripen 

 their feeds better than thofe which are fown in the 

 ipring, as they come earlier to flower ; but to con- 

 tinue a fucceflion of thefe flowers, there ftiould be 

 fome feeds fown in the fpring. When they are fown 

 on the borders of the flower-garden for ornament, 

 they fhould be in patches of about a foot diameter, 

 in the middle of the borders, at proper diftances; m 

 each of thefe patches may be fcattered ten or a dozen 

 feeds, covering them over about a quarter of an inch 

 with earth ; and in the fpring the plants may be 

 thinned, leaving about five or fix of the upright fort 

 in each patch to ftand for flowering ; but of thp 

 branching fort, not more than three or four, became 

 thefe require room ; after this the plants will require 

 no farther care but to keep them clean from weeds, 

 and when they begin to flower ftiould be fupported 

 by flower-fticks to prevent their being broken by 

 wind, efpecially if they are not in a flieltered fituation. 



If the feeds v/ere well chofcn, there will be very few 



ordinal 



t 



