100 FLORA HISTORICA. 



LARKSPUR. Delphinium 



jSTatiiral Order MiiUisiliquce. Ranunculacece^ Juss. A 

 Genus of the Volyandria Trigynia Class. 



That a flower of so much celebrity for its elegance 

 of sliape and beautiful variety of colouring should 

 be suffered to pass unnoticed by English bards 

 cannot escape '^ our special wonder." Let no poet 

 henceforth complain of the want of a subject until 

 we are able to present our readers with a head to 

 the history of a plant whose pyramidal bouquets 

 rank in the parterre amongst the most brilliant fa- 

 vourites of Flora. 



The lively and delicate dyes of these blossoms 

 give a prismatic effect to the garden by their spiral 

 branches of azure, rose, white, violet, lilac, and car- 

 nation hues. 



In floral language the Larkspur is made the 

 emblem of lightness^ an appellation which the 

 graceful airiness with which these flowers are placed 

 on the branches truly justifies. The generic name 

 of the plant is derived from the Greek AsX^pivjov, 

 signifying a dolphin, because the flower-buds, be- 

 fore they are expanded, are thought to resemble that 



