Tas. 8152. 
ACONITUM wapettus, var. EMINENS. 
Rhenish Prussia. 
RANUNCULACEAE. ‘Tribe HELLEBOREAR. 
Aconitum, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 9. 
Aconitum Napellus, Linn., var. eminens, Wirigen, Fl. d. Preuss. Rheinpro- 
vinz, p. 21; a typo Linneano altitudine, panicula amplissima, flore magis 
hiante, galea altiore, nectariis saepe subexsertis, floram et folliculoram 
magnitudine nec non statione distinctum. 
Herta saepe 2 m., interdum ad 2°75 m. alta, praeter inflorescentiam glaberrima. 
Folia laete vel saturate viridia, carnosula, lucidula, inferiora longe petio- 
lata, ambitu reniformi-orbiculata, maxima ad 30 cm. lata, more folioram 
typi partita nisi segmentis plerumque latioribus; petioli ad 15 cm. 
longi. Panicula maxima, 1-1'25 m. longa, tandem fere e basi ramis 
florentibus longis aucta, pyramidalis, superne adpresse pubescens; 
bracteae inferiores more foliorum summorum divisae, summae lanceolatae, 
simplices, pedicellis multo breviores; pedicelli inferiores ad 8 cm. vel 
tandem 10 em. longi; bracteolae oblongae, obtusae, pubescentes, flori 
arcte approximatae, ad 5 mm. Jongae, in pedicellis inferioribus medio 
altera saepe trifida addita. Flores intense purpureo-coerulei, rarius 
purpurascentes vel albo-variegati. Galea 2U-25 mm. alta, parce pubes- 
cens vel praeter margines glabra, ungue latiuscualo erecto, cuculla 
depressa versus rostrum paulo descendente vel subhorizontali. Sepala 
lateralia oblique orbicularia, latissime unguiculata, 15-18 mm. longa, 
margine superiore a galea remoto, ideoque flore hiante, in facie et ad 
margines sparse longe pilosa; sepala inferiora oblonga, descendentia, 
12-15 mm. longa. Nectaria ungue circiter 20 mm. alto sub galea prorsus 
curvato suffulta, saepe e galea magis minusve exserta, oblonga, apice 
in dorso gibbosa, 5-7 mm. longa, hine inde sparse pilosa, labio oblongo 
breviter bilobo incurvo, 4-8 mm. longo apice intense coeruleo. Fila- 
menta paulo ultra medium alata, superne pilosa. Carpella 3, rarissime 
2 vel 4, oblonga, glabra, sub anthesi erecta, postea divergentes. Folliculi 
maturi contigui, erecti, post dehiscentiam imo apice tantum recurvo, 
magnitadine valde varii, ad 30 mm. longi, 6-7 mm. lati. Semina 3- 
angulari-obpyramidata, angulis acutis vel subalatis, in facie antica 
transverse rugosa, in lateribus sublaevia, 4 mm. longa.—A. eminens, 
Koch ex Reichb. Illustr. Acon. gen. t. 16 (lxix.); Wirtgen, Veget. Eifel, 
p- 201; vix ex Reichb. Ubers. d. Gatt. Acon. p. 35 (ubi nomen tantum). 
This is by far the most handsome of the numerous varieties 
or races of Aconitum Napellus. It appears to be confined 
to the limestone zone of the Hifel Mountains. I collected 
the tubers from which the specimen here figured was 
raised on the banks of the River Kyll, some miles above 
Gerolstein, in 1904. There the plant grew most lux- 
uriautly in rich, deep soil, close to the water together 
with willows, the tallest specimens attaining 2 m. or 
slightly more. In another locality, on the slopes of the 
Auburg, to the west of Gerolstei, I found it in almost 
impenetrable thickets of hazel, Cornus sanguinea, Vibur- 
SerTeMBER Ist, 1907. 
