12 RANUNCULACE./E. 



Rocks. Throughout the U. S. and Can. N. to Hudson's Bay. April, May. 

 %■■ — Stem 1 — 2 feet high, branched above. Leaves glaucous ; radical one8 

 biternate, the upper ones becoming gradually more simple. Flowers yellow 

 and scarlet. Wild Columbine. 



11. HELLEBORUS. Adans. —HellehoTe. 



(From the Greek eXetv, to cause death ; and I3opa,food ; on account of its poisoii 

 ous properties.) 



Sepals 5, persistent, mostly greenish. . Petals 8 — 10, very- 

 short, tubular, 2 -lipped. Stamens numerous. Stigma orbicu- 

 lar. Follicles 3 — 10, slightly cohering at the base, coriaceous, 

 many-seeded. Seeds elliptical. 



H. viridis Linn. : radical leaves glabrous, pedately divided ; the cauline 

 few, nearly sessile, palmately parted; peduncles often geminate; sepals 

 roundish-ovate, green. 



On the plains near Jamaica, and in a wood near Brooklyn, N. Y. April. %■. — 

 Stem about a foot high. Radical leaves on long petioles. Flowers an inch or 

 more in diameter. A naturalized foreigner. 2'orr. ^ Gr. 



Green Hellebore. 



12. DELPHINIUM. />i7i7i.— Larkspur. 



(From the Greek 6e\(piv, a dolphin ; from the shape of the upper sepal.) 

 Calyx deciduous, petaloid, irregular, the upper sepal pro- 

 duced downward into a spur. Petals 4 ; 2 upper ones homed 

 behind. Ovaries 1 — 5. Follicles many-seeded. 



* Ovaries 3 — 5, Petals free. Perennial. 



1. D. azureum Mich.: petioles a little dilated at the base; leaves 3 — 5 

 parted, many-cleft, lobes linear; raceme erect; petals densely bearc^d at 

 the apex ; flowers on short pedicels. 



Woods. Penn. to Geor. W. to Miss. May. %..—Stem 2 feet high. Flow- 

 ers large, blue. Azure Larkspur. 



2. D. exaltatum Ait. : petioles not dilated at the base ; leaves flajt, 3 — 7 

 cleft beyond the middle ; lobes wedgeform, 3-cleft at the apex, acuminate ; 

 lateral ones often 2-lobed; raceme erect; spur straight, as long as the 

 calyx ; capsules 3. D. tridactylum Mich. 



Woods. Penn. to Car. W. to Miss. May. %.—Stem 2 feet high. Flowers 

 large, light blue. High Larkspur. 



3. D. tricoTTie Mich. : petioles smooth at the base, scarcely dilated ; leaves 

 5-parted, lobes 3 — 5-cleft ; segments linear ; petals shorter than the calyx ; 

 carpels reflexed, spreading at base, arcuate. 



Hills and woods. Penn. to Louis. W. to Arkansas. April, May. %. — Stem 

 6 — 8 inches high. Raceme loose, 6 — 12 flowered. Flowers bright blue, some- 

 times white. Three-horned Larkspur. 



** Ovary solitary. Petals united. Annual. 



4. D. Consolid^ Linn.: stem erect, smoothish, divaricately branched; 



