RANUNCULACE^ ii 



Several species of Monkshood are common sub-alpine 

 plants. 



A. Sepals blue, violet, or white; spur hooked or 

 slightly curved : — A. NapelluSy L., a glabrous plant, with 

 bright blue (occasionally white) flowers, is abundant in 

 alpine pastures in Switzerland and Pyrenees. A. pani- 

 culatmUf Lam., with a looser raceme, hairy stem, and 

 dark bluish-violet flowers, occurs in damp bushy places 

 in Switzerland, Dauphiny, and Pyrenees; and A. varie- 

 gatum, L., with spotted sepals and erect petals, in 

 Switzerland. A. Storkeanuin, Rchb., is probably a 

 hybrid. 



B. Sepals yellow or yello wish- white ; spur coiled : — A. 

 Lycoctonuniy with pale yellow flowers, palmate leaves, 

 and glabrous follicles, is common at low elevations ; and 

 A. Anthoray L., with more erect darker flowers and 

 hairy follicles, at higher elevations, in the Alps and 

 Pyrenees. A. ranunailifolium, L., with palmate leaves 

 and hood nearly three times as high as broad; and A. 

 commutahiniy Dall. Torr., resembling the last, but with 

 shorter leaflets, inhabit the calcareous Alps. A. pyrenai- 

 cumy L., with velvety golden-yellow flowers and very 

 fleshy leaves, is found in Pyrenees. 



17. P^EONIA, L. 



Flowers solitary, regular; sepals 5, green, persistent; 

 petals numerous, very large. 



Three species of Peony are occasionally met with in 

 bushy places in Styria, Tirol, Carinthia, and Southern 

 Switzerland, viz. : — P. corallinay Retz., with 4-5 carpels 

 horizontal in fruit ; peregrinay Mill., with 2-3 erect carpels 



