AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



15 



continued. 

 A. floribunda (many-flowered). Jl. white, in threes, disposed in 



a terminal panicled thyrse. May to September. 1. full of pel- 



lucid dots, oval-lanceolate, acuminated at both ends. Berries 



globose, bright purple, A. 4ft. New Holland, 1790. 

 JL ovata (ovate-leaved).* A new species, having, according to Mr. 



W. Bull, ovate leaves, which, along with the stems and petioles, 



are dark purple, giving the plants, when making new growth, a 



striking appearance. It has a neat habit 



ACOKANTHERA. See Toxicophlcea. 



ACONIOFTERIS. See Acrostichum. 



ACONITE. See Aconitum. 



ACONITE, WINTER. See Eranthis. 



ACONITUM (from Aconas, or Acone, a harbour of 

 Heraclea, in Bithynia, near where it is said to abound). 

 Aconite; Monk's Hood; Wolfs Bane. OED. RanunculacecB. 

 An extensive genus of very ornamental hardy perennials. 

 Flowers in terminal racemes; sepals five, the upper one 

 helmet shaped, the two sides broader than the two back 

 ones ; petals five, small, the two upper with long claws 

 hooded at the tip ; the three inferior smaller or undeveloped. 

 Leaves palmate. They thrive well in any ordinary garden 

 soil. If left undisturbed for several years, they will attain 

 a goodly size, and produce fine panicles of handsome flowers. 

 They are invaluable for growing beneath the shade of trees, 

 where they succeed better than almost any other class of 

 plants. All are very easily propagated by divisions of the 

 roots and seeds ; the latter should be sown as soon as ripe 

 in a cold frame. Care should be taken not to leave pieces 

 of the roots about, for, with but one exception, those of all 

 the species are very poisonous. Although very unlike 

 horse-radish, they have frequently been mistaken for it, with 

 fatal results ; and none of the species should be cultivated 

 in or near the kitchen garden. 



Sect. I. Boots Tuberous. 

 A. acuminatum (taper-pointed). Jl. bluish purple ; spur capitate ; 



helmet closed, conical, beaked. July. I with cuneate, bipinnate 



lobes. A. 2ft. to 4ft. Switzerland, 1819. 

 A. album (white-flowered).* ft. pure white, large, with erect helmet, 



very freely produced. 1. dark green, with oblpng-cuneate divisions. 



August. A. 4ft. to 5ft Levant, 1752. This is a rare and very 



handsome species. 



A. alpinnm (alpine). Synonymous with A. rostratum. 

 A. ampliflorum (large-flowered), fl. bluish-purple, large ; spur 



obtuse, straight June. L with blunt segments, h. 2ft to oft 



Austria, 1823. 



A. angustifolium (narrow-leaved).* fl. deep blue, in spiked 

 panicles ; spur capitate ; helmet closed, hemispherical ; li 

 June. I. palmately cut into linear lobes, h. 2ft to 3ft Siberia, 



spiked 

 bifid. 



1824. 



A. blflorum (twin-flowered).* JL pale blue, usually twin, sessile, 

 the middle rather obscure and with yellowish edges, covered 

 on the back with spreading down; spur truncate; helmet de- 

 pressed; beak drawn out. June. i. lower ones on long stalks, 

 with linear segments. A. 6in. Siberia, 1817. A very rare alpine 

 species. 



A. Cammarum (Cammarum). fl. rich deep purple, on rather 

 loose spikes ; spur capitate ; helmet closed, hemispherical. July 

 to September. 1. with short, bluntish lobes. A. 3ft. to 4ft Austria, 

 1752. 



A. cernuum (drooping), fl. violet, large, on nodding, loose, hairy 

 racemes ; spur capitate, or a little hooked ; helmet large, arched, 

 beaked. July and August. I. with trapeziform, pinnate lobes. 

 Branches axillary, spreading. A. 3ft to 4ft Europe, 1800. 



A. delphinifolium (Delphinium-leaved).* JL pale bluish purple, 

 large, on loose racemes ; spur a little hooked ; helmet hemi- 

 spherical. June. I. smooth, deeply cut into five parts. Stems 

 slender. A. 6in. to 2ft North America, 1820. A rare alpine species. 



A. elatum (tall), fl. blue, very large, in loose panicled spikes ; 

 peduncles pubescent ; spur capitate, inclining. June. I. with 

 linear acute segments. A. 3ft to 4ft Europe, 1822. 



A. eminens (eminent).* Jl blue, on erectly spreading pubescent 

 peduncles ; spur capitate ; helmet closed ; lip very long, refracted. 

 June. 1. with cuneate bipinnate lobes. A. 2ft to 4ft Europe, 



_, (woolly -stamened). Jl bluish-purple, disposed in 

 long, beautiful, erect-spreading spikes ; spur capitate ; helmet 

 closed, arched. June. 1. with cuneate, bipinnate lobes. A, 4ft. 

 Switzerland, 1821. 



A. exaltatnm (exalted), fl. blue, on loose panicles, with ascend- 

 ing stiff branches ; spur thick, somewhat hooked ; helmet conical ; 

 beak elongated. July. 1. with trapeziform, pinnate lobes, h. 6ft 

 Pyrenees. 1819. SYN. A. hamatum. 



Aconitrtuu continued. 



A. flaccidnm (flaccid), fl. pale violet, large, on erect spreading 

 peduncles ; racemes branched ; spur hooked at the apex ; helmet 

 high, arched, inclining forwards, gaping. July and August 

 I. multifid, ciliated (as well as the petioles), when young. A. 6ft 



A. glbbosum (swollen). Synonymous with A. natutum. 



A. Gmelinl (Gmelin's). ft. cream-coloured, middle-sized, on very 

 long loose racemes ; spur straight, obtuse ; bottom of the helmet 

 rounded, cylindrical July. I. on long stalks, villous beneath and 

 shining above; lobes divided into narrow segments. A. 2ft 

 Siberia, 1817. Sm A. nitidum. 



A. gracile (slender).* fl. pale blue or violet, large, on loose 

 racemes ; spur erect, clavated-hooked ; helmet with a middle sized 

 beak. June. I. smooth, with trapeziform, pinnate lobes. Stems 

 slender. A. 2ft Italy, Ac. 



A. Hallerl (nailer's).* fl. opaque violet, on elongated, loose 

 racemes, with a few lateral ascending ones ; spur capitate ; helmet 

 convex-hemispherical, gaping. June. 1. lobes linear, dilated, very 

 long. Stem straight long, branched. A. 4ft. to 6ft. Switzerland, 



A. H. Tricolor (two-coloured).* fl. white, variegated with blue, 

 disposed in spikes or panicles. June. 



FIG. 17. FLOWER OF ACONITUM NAPELLUS, nearly Full Size. 



(hooked). Synonymous with A. exaUatum. 

 A. hebegynum (blunt-styled). Synonymous with A. panictUatvm. 

 Jl. pale yellow, and. deep 



blue in front, large, numerous, dense. August L petiolate 

 below, sessile above, broadly cordate, coarsely toothed at the 

 edge, and deep green. A. 2ft Himalayas, 1874. A new intro- 

 duction, said to be non-poisonous, and used as a tonic in India. 



A. illinltum (anointed). JL pale or deep violet, on very loose and 

 much branched panicles, large ; spur thick, long, abruptly pointed ; 

 beak blunt ; helmet sub-conical. July. i. with broad cuneiform 

 lobes, and obtuse lobules. A. 4ft 1821. 



A. Intermedium (intermediate). /. blue, on a loose panicle, 

 with ascending stiff branches ; spur supine, somewhat hooked ; 

 helmet arched. June. 2. with trapeziform, pinnate lobes. A. 3ft 

 to 4ft Alps of Europe, 1820. 



A. japonicum (Japanese).* Jl. flesh-coloured, on loose panicles, 

 with ascending branches ; helmet exactly conical, abruptly 

 mucronate ; beak acute, straight. July to September. L stalked, 

 trifid ; lateral lobes bifid, middle lobe trifid, all blunt and deeply 

 toothed. Stem round, smooth. A. 6ft Japan, 1790. One of 

 the best species grown. 



A. J. cceruleum (blue), fl. blue. Japan. 



A. lacinlosnm (jagged). JL pale blue, or with a white base, 

 large, on somewhat contracted racemes ; spur clavated-hooked ; 



