Herbaceous plants* 



275 



roost appropriate in the crevices of calcareous rocks in open 

 and sunny positions. 



Larkspur, Delphinium. Large perennial, biennial, or 

 annual herbs from one to six feet high, with palmately 

 divided foliage, and racemes or panicles of showy blue, 

 white, or scarlet flowers. Some of the species are very old 

 border plants. All are valuable. The common larkspur (Z^. 

 exaltatum) is most popular as a border plant. It grows to 



a height of five or six feet, producing 

 masses of blue or white flowers in 

 large and dense racemes. Leaves 

 palmately parted, all along the 

 tall stems. The large-flowered 

 larkspur (D. grandiflorum) is of 

 a dwarf er, more elegant and 

 spreading habit. Flowers are 

 large, intensely blue and in 

 some varieties white. The 

 Chinese larkspur (D. cJiinense) 

 is a new variety of this species ; 

 a more profuse bloomer with 

 loose panicles of the most 

 intensely blue flowers late 

 in the season. The showy 

 larkspur (I), formosum) is 

 also one of the most valu- 

 able kinds with sky-blue 

 flowers, earlier than the 

 preceding kind. Added to these the hybrid larkspur 

 (I), hylridum), which in size and habit resembles the com- 



FIQ. 124. COMMON LARKSPUR (DELPHINIUM 

 EXALTATUM). 



