40 CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



16. NIGIILLA, FENNEL-FLOWER. (Name from the black seeds.) (i) 

 Garden plants from Eu. and Orient ; with leafy stems, the leaves finely di- 

 vided, like Fennel ; known by having the 5 ovaries united below into one 

 5-styled pod. Seeds large, blackish, spicy ; have been used as a substitute 

 for spice or pepper. 



N. Damasc6na, Common F. or Ragged-Ladt. Flower bluish, rather 

 large, surrounded and overtopped by a finely-divided leafy involucre, like the 

 other leaves ; succeeded by a smooth inflated 5-celled pod, in which the lining 

 of the cells separates from the 'outer part. 



N. sativa, Nutmeg-Flower. Cult, in some old gardens ; has coarser 

 leaves, and smaller rough pods. 



17. AQUILEGIA, COLUMBINE. (From aquila, an eagle, the spurs of 

 the petals fancied to resemble talons.) 1]. Well-known, large-flowered 

 ornamental plants : flowers in spring and early summer, usually nodding, so 

 tjiat the spurs ascend. 



* North American species, with long straight spurs to the corolla. 



A. Canadensis, Wild C. Flowers about 2' long, scarlet and orange, 

 or light yellow inside, the petals with a very short lip or blade, and stamens 

 projecting. Common on rocks. 



A. Skinneri, Mexican C, is taller, later, and considerably larger-flow- 

 ered than the last, the narrower acute sepals usually tinged greenish ; otherwise 

 very similar. Cult. 



A. esertllea, Long-spurked C, native of the Rocky Mountains, lately 

 introduced to gardens, and worthy of special attention ; has blue and white 

 flowers, the ovate sepals often 1 j', the very slender spurs 2' long, the blade of 

 the petals (white) half the length of the (mostly blue) sepals, spreading. 

 * * Old World species, ivith hooked or incurved spurs to the corolla. 



A. vulgaris, Common Garden C. Cult, in all gardens, l°-3° high, 

 many-flowered ; spurs rather longer tharf the blade or rest of the petal ; pods 

 pubescent. Flowers varying from blue to purple, white, &c., greatly changed 

 by culture, often full double, with spur within spur, sometimes all changed 

 into a rosette of plane petals or sepals. 



A. glandul6sa. Glandular C. A more choice species, 6'-l° high, 

 with fcAver very showy deep blue flowers, the blade of the petals white or white- 

 tipped and twice the length of the short spurs ; pods and summit of the plant 

 glandular-pubescent. 



A. Sibirica, Siberian C. Equally choice with the last, and like it ; 

 but tlie spurs longer than the mostly white-tipped short blade, as well as the 

 pods, &c. smooth. 



18. DELPHINIUM, LARKSPUR. (From the Latin name of the dol- 

 phin, alluding to the shape of the flower.) The familiar and well-marked 

 flower of this genus is illustrated in Lessons, p. 91, 94, fig. 183, 184, 192. 



* Garden annuals from Eu., with only the 2 upper petals, united into one body, one 

 pistil, and leaves finely and much divided: fl. summer and fiill. 



D. Consolida, Field L. Escaped sparingly into roadsides and fields ; 

 flowers scattered on the spreading branches, blue, varying to pink or white ; 

 pod smooth. 



D. Aj^cis, Rocket L. More showy, in gardens, and with similar flowers 

 crowded in a long close raceme, and downy pods ; spur shorter : some marks on 

 the front of the united petals were fancied to read AIAI = Ajax. 



* * Perennials, ivith 4 separate petals and 2-5, mostly 3 pistils. 



D. grandifl6rum, Great-fl. L. of the gardens, from Siberia and China, 

 is l°-2° hi'Ji, with leaves cut into narrower linear divisions ; blue flowers, 1^' 

 or more across, with ample oval sepals, and the 2 lower petals rounded and 

 entire. Various in color, also double-flowered ; summer. 



D. cheil^nthum, of which D. formosum, Showy L., is one of the 

 various garden forms, also Siberian, is commonly still larger-flowered, deep 



