Tas. 8118. 
ACONITUM aymnanprvum. 
Tibet and W. China. 
RANUNCULACEAE. Tribe HELLEBOREAE. 
Aconitum, L.; Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 9. 
Aconitum gymnandrum, Mawim. in Bull. Acad. Pelersb. xxiii. (1877), p. 308; 
Flor. Tangut. p. 26, tab. vi. figs. 1-6; Stapf in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard, 
Caleutta, vol. x. part ii. (1905), p. 178; ab omnibus speciebus generis 
duratione annua et sepalis longe unguiculatis androecium exponentibus 
distincta, sectionem Gymnaconitum, Stapf, sistens. 
Herba annua. Radix fusiformis, gracilis. Caulis simplex vel ramosus, 
erectus, ad 1 m. altus, magis minusve hirsutus. Folia sparsa, rarius in 
speciminibus nanis rosulata, petiolata, hirsuta ; lamina ambitu reniformis 
vel ovata, 2-5 cm. longa, 2°5-6 cm. lata (vel in planta culta majora), 
ternata vel fere ad basin 3-partita divisionibus similiter divisis, laciniis 
inciso-dentatis. Jnflorescentia racemosa vel subpaniculata, hirsuta, laxa 
vel densa ; bracteae inferiores folia summa referentes, superiores redactae, 
summae integrae, lineari-lanceolatae; pedicelli erecti, infimi ad 6 cm. 
longi, vel omnes breves; bracteolae lanceolatae vel lineares, flori approxi- 
matae. Sepala violacea vel saturate coerulea, pilis longis albis molliter 
hirsuta; summum breviter galeatum vel subnaviculare, breviter rostratum, 
longe anguste unguiculatum, 2 ad ultra 2°5 cm. altum; lateralia abrupte 
in unguem linearem limbum aequantem vel subbreviorem contracta, 
limbo elliptico vel rotundato obtuso vel apiculato, 1°7-2 cm. longo ad 
1:7 cm. poll. lato; inferiora lateralibus similia nisi minora. Nectaria 
glabra vel sparse pilosula, ungue erecto ultra 1°25 cm. longo, cuculla 
erecta vel suberecta dorso sub apice gibbosa, labio amplo rotundato denti- 
culato patente. Filamenta longe persistentia, hispiduia, ad vel ultra 
medium alata. Carpella ad 12, parallela, oblonga, abrupte in stylum 
contracta, villoso-hirsuta. Follicult oblongi, truncati, fere 1:25 cm. longi, 
magis minusve glabrescentes, superne divergentes. Semina obpyrami- 
data, nigrescentia, 1:25 cm. longa, transverse minute lamellata. 
This peculiar Aconite was discovered by the great ex- 
plorer of Central Asia, General N. M. Przewalski, in alpine 
meadows in the mountains to the north and east of Kuku- 
Nor. It has since been found in Eastern and Southern 
Tibet, and Western China. The specimen figured here 
was raised from seeds gathered at Gyantse by Capt. H. J. 
Walton during the expedition to Lhassa in September, 
1904, and communicated by the Director of the Botanical 
Survey of India. It differs in general aspect considerably 
from all the other species of the genus in the long-clawed 
lateral sepals, the blades of which are twisted sideways, so 
as to show their brightly coloured inner faces, and expose 
JaNuUARY Ist, 1907. 
