fvANUNCULACE^. 13 



flowers few, in lax racemes; pedicels longer than the bracts; carpels 

 smooth. 



Near cultivated grounds. July. (J). — Stem 2 feet high. Flowers blue. In- 

 troduced from Europe. Common Larkspur. 



13. ACONITUM. I.z7m.— Wolfsbane. 

 (From the Greek aK6vri, a cliff or rock ; in allusion to its place of growth.) 



Calyx petaloid, irregular, deciduous ; the upper sepal large 

 and helmet-form. Petals 5 ; the 3 lower ones minute, often 

 converted mto stamens ; the 2 upper on long claws, expanded 

 into a sac or short spur at the summit. Follicles 3 — 5, many- 

 seeded. 



A. wncmatnm Linn.; panicle rather loose, with divergent branches; 

 galea exactly conical ; spur incUned, somewhat spiral ; leaves 3-lobed ; 

 lobes equal. 



Mountains. N. Y. to Geor. Sept. 'Zj.. — Stem twinisg, branching. Leaves co- 

 riaceous, deeply 3-lobed. Flowers 3 — 4, near the summit of each branch, large, 

 bright blue. De Candolle notices two American varieties of this species. 



American Monkshood. 



14. ACT^A. Linn.— Baneherry. 

 (From the Greek aKTri, the elder ; on account of its resemblance to that plant.) 

 Sepals 4 — 5. Petals 4 — 8, spatulate. Stamens numerous 

 Carpels solitary, baccate, many-seeded. 



1. a: riibra Willd. : leaves twice and thrice ternate; raceme hemi- 

 spherical ; petals shorter than the stamens, acute ; pedicels of the fruit 

 smaller than the peduncle ; berries shining, red, many-seeded. A. spicata 

 Mich. A. bracMjpetala. D. C. A. Americana, var. rubra Pursh. 



Woods. Can. to Car. W. to the Rocky Mountains. May. %—Stem 2 

 feet high. Flowers white. Berries red and shining. Red Cohosh. , 



2. A. alba Big. : leaves twice and thrice ternate ; raceme oblong ; petals 

 equal to the stamens ; pedicels of the fruit as large as the peduncle ; benies 

 white, few-seeded. A. spicata, var. alba Mich. A. Americana, var. alba 

 Pursh. A. pachypoda Ell. 



Woods. Can. to Geor. W. to Miss. May. %.— Pedicels shorter and thicker 

 than m the preceding. Berries milk-white tipt with red, smaller than in A. 

 rubra. White Cohosh. 



15. CIMICIFUGA. LAmi.—Bxighane. 

 (From the Latin cimex, a bug, andfugo, to drive away.) 



Sepals 4 — 5. Petals 3 — 5, concave or unguiculate, some- 

 times fewer or none. Stamens numerous. Style short. Car- 

 pels 1 — 8, follicular, many-seeded. 



C. racemosa Ell. : racemes very long ; leaves ternately decompound ; Icaf- 

 ets ovate-oblong, incisely toothed. C.Serpentaria Pursh. Aetata racemosa 

 Linn. 



