28 THE GENUS ACONITUM. [part i. 



larger than the others, and adhere together so 

 as to form a singular sort of covering, Hke a 

 monk's cowl or hood. (See a mjig. 8.) The 

 stamens are numerous, and they encircle three 

 or five oval carpels, with thread-like styles, and 

 pointed stigmas, as shown at h ; which when 

 ripe burst open at the top (c) to discharge the 

 seed, without separating. Carpels of this kind 

 are called follicles. Under the hood, and en- 

 tirely concealed by it, are the petals (seej^-. 9), 

 which form what may certainly be 

 considered the most remarkable 

 part of the flower, as they are so 

 curiously folded up that they look 

 more like gigantic stamens than 

 petals. The older botanists de- 

 scribed these petals as nectaries. 

 Fig. 9.— Petals of ^^yith crcstcd claws. The leavcs 

 are divided into from three to five 

 principal segments, which are again deeply cut 

 into several others. The stem of the common 

 Monkshood is thickened at the base, or collar, 

 where it joins the root, so as to give it some- 

 what the appearance of celery; and hence 

 ignorant persons have been poisoned by eating 

 it. This knotted appearance of the stem is not 

 common to all the species, and it gives rise to 

 the specific name of Napellus, which signifies a 

 little turnip. 



