NAT. ORDER. 



Ranunculaccce. 



AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS. COLUMBmE. 



Class XIII. PoLYANDRiA. Order V. Pentagynia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx five-leaved, petaloid, deciduous. Petals five, 

 terminating below in a spurred nectary. Capsule five, erect, 

 acuminate with the styles, many-seeded. 



iS^e. Char. Spurs straight. Styles and stamens exserted. Calyx 

 rather acute, longer than the petals. Leaves three-parted, rather 

 obtuse, incisely toothed. 



The Columbine is a native of America, growing in abundance in 

 rocky places, fi-om Canada to Louisiana, and is also found in most parts 

 of Europe, where it is cultivated in gardens as an ornamental flower. 

 It is a perennial, herbaceous plant, all parts of it having been exten- 

 sively medicinally employed. The roots, leaves, and flowers have a 

 disagreeable odor, and a bitter, acrid taste ; the seeds are small, black, 

 shining, inodorous, and of an oleaginous sweetish taste, followed by a 

 sense of acrimony ; it starts up early in the spring, and rises from two 

 to four feet in height, and continues to flower from May to July. 

 There are seven different kinds of Columbine, which we shall here- 

 after notice: among them are the Aquilegia Vulgaris, or common 

 single Columbine ; Aquilegia vulgaris fllore plena, common double 

 Columbine ; Aquilegia inversis corniculis, double inverted Colum 

 bine ; Aquilegia rosea, the rose Columbine ; Aquilegia degener, the 

 degenerate Columbine, and the Aquilegia Virginiana, the early red 

 T'olumbine of Virginia. 



