76 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [Proc. 3D Ser. 



II.— ON SPURLESS FORMS OF AQUILEGIA. 



Aquilegia differs from allied genera chiefly in having five 

 spurred petals and a column of staminodia surrounding the 

 pistils. In some species a tendency to degenerate from 

 the markedly specialized type exists, and the varieties are 

 characterized by spurless petals. These cause the flowers 

 to superficially resemble those of Isopyf'um, Clematis, or 

 Anemone, more than Aquilegia. 



Double-flowered forms of Aquilegia are quite common in 

 some species under cultivation, the stamens either becom- 

 ing distinctly petaloid with spurs, or, together with the pet- 

 als, becoming sepaloid, flat, and destitute of spurs. 



Aquilegia vulgaris, which is widely spread through Eu- 

 rope and has, probably, been more extensively cultivated 

 than any other species, has several varieties with ecalcarate 

 petals. Two are given in De Candolle's Prodromus, Vol. 

 I, p. 50: A. stellata, with double flowers, petals flat, spur- 

 less, and colored; A. degener, with double flowers, petals 

 and sepals flat, spurless, and green. These are both figured 

 in Clusius' *' Historia Rarorium Plantarum," according to 

 De Candolle. In the " Index Kewensis " another variety, 

 A. ecalcaj'ata, is given, which the name indicates to be spur- 

 less; but it is regarded by horticulturists as identical with 

 A . stellata. 



The attention of the writer has been called to these pecu- 

 liarities by the occurrence of two species in Colorado, 

 which have ecalcarate varieties. The first of these belongs 

 to A . ccerulea. 



Aquilegia caerulea Daileyae, var. nov. 



Plate VII, Fig. i. 



This is in all respects similar to the type except that the 

 spurs of the petals are entirely wanting, sepals and petals 

 flat, blue. 



The plate indicates the peculiarities of the variety. The 

 plant figured was drawn from specimens sent me by Miss 



