450 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Delphinium continued. 



by root division, by cuttings, or by seeds. The first-named 

 method is the best for perpetuating named varieties. The 

 old plants should be cut down after flowering, when young 

 growths will proceed from the base, and the whole may 

 be lifted and carefully divided. Seeds of these often take 

 a long time to germinate. Cuttings of the young shoots, 

 taken off in either autumn or spring, root readily if in- 

 serted singly in pots, and placed in a cold frame ; these 

 will flower the following season, at the same time as the 

 offsets. Seeds of the annual species or varieties may be 

 sown out of doors, in a warm border, in April ; or in pans, 

 to be placed either in frames or outside. So soon as the 

 plants are up, they should be pricked off into light, rich 

 soil, where they will make rapid progress. There are 

 numerous and beautiful hybrid varieties, with single, and 

 also many with double, flowers; these are, for the most 

 part, superior to the normal species, the most distinct of 

 which are here described, all being perennials, except 

 where otherwise stated. 



Pio. 531. DOUBLE-FLOWERED FORM OP DELPHINIUM AJACIS. 



D. AJacls.* Common Larkspur, ft. showy blue, or sometimes 

 reddish or white, not numerous, in terminal racemes, some- 

 times forming an irregular panicle ; spur of the calyx as long 

 as the rest of the flower, or rather shorter ; petals two 

 Summer, I., radical ones shortly stalked ; stem ones sessile ; all 

 divided into fine linear, deeply-cut segments. Branches few 

 spreading, h. 1ft. to lift. Mtish cornfields (especially round 

 Cambridgeshire). An erect, hairy annual. The specific name is 

 said to have been derived from the supposition that the form 

 of the letters A J A could be traced in the lines on the petals 

 of the flower. In many works on the British Flora, the species 



(white-flowered). A synonym of D. hybridum 



D.aznreum(blue).*/. beautiful sky-blue, large; racemes straight- 

 petals all bearded at the apex, lower ones fery^Uou? May to 

 July. 1. three to five-parted, many-cleft, with linear lobes" 

 &lB ha R 1 i y 99 d ") atedatthebaSe - *" 5ft North-west Americi; 



D. Brunonianum (Brown's), ft. light blue, shading to purple 

 on the margins, centre black ; large. June and July. I lower 

 ones reniform, but divided into deeply-cut segments ; upp4r ones 



Delphinium continued. 



tripartite, h. 6in. to 1ft. Thibet, 1864. A rare species, having 

 a very strong musky odour. (B. M. 5461.) 



D. cardinalc (cardinal).* fl. bright scarlet, with the petal limbs 

 distinctly yellow ; disposed in spikes. August. I. smooth, deeply 

 palmately-lobed, rather fleshy, h. 3ft. to 4ft. California. A very 

 handsome annual species, remarkably well suited for borders or 

 rockeries, with a good depth of rich soil to facilitate the develop- 

 ment of its long fleshy roots. (B. M. 4887.) 



D. cardiopetalum (heart-petaled). /. dark bluish-violet ; 

 racemes crowded. June. I. smooth, ternate, with multifid seg- 

 ments and linear lobes ; those of the branches, as well as the 

 lower bracts, are multifld. Stem erect, a little branched, h. 1ft. 

 Pyrenees, 1818. Annual. 



D. cashmirianum (Kashmir).* fl. lin. to 2in. across, with broad 

 sepals, of a distinct pale blue colour, corymbose. July. I. tufted, 

 with long petioles, palmately-lobed, 4m. or more across, deep 

 i, slightly hairy, h. 1ft. to l*ft. Kashmir, 1875. (B. M. 



D. chellanthum (lip-flowered), fl. dark blue; petals shorter 

 than the calyx, two lower ones with obliquely-inflexed, ovate, 

 entire limbs. June to September. I. five-parted, with oblong, 

 acuminated, sub-trifid, and somewhat toothed lobes. Stem erect 

 branched, h. 2ft. to 3ft. Dahuria, 1819. (B. R. 473.) 



D. consolida (consolidated), fl., racemes rather few-flowered, 

 loose ; pedicels shorter than the bracts ; petals all combined into 

 one body. Summer. I. dissected into narrow linear lobes, h. 1ft. 

 to lift. Europe. Annual. 



D. dasycarpnm (hairy - fruited).* fl. beautiful blue, with 

 dark brown petals, rather large ; racemes simple, pubescent ; 

 pedicels thrice as long as the bracts. June. I. pubescent, five- 

 lobed ; lobes lanceolate, somewhat trifld, deeply toothed at the 

 ; petioles not dilated at the base. h. 4ft. to 6ft. Caucasus, 



apex ; 



1819. 



D. elatum (tall). A synonym of D. exaltatum. 



FIG. 632. FLOWERING BRANCH OF DELPHINIUM EXALTATUM. 



D. exaltatum (exalted).* fl. blue, or sometimes white, middle- 

 sized ; racemes straight ; spur straight, length of the calyx ; limb 

 of lower petals bifid. Summer. I. flat, cleft into three to 

 *even parts beyond the middle, with wedge-shaped lobes, which 

 are trifid or jagged, and acuminated at the apex ; petioles not 

 dilated at the base. h. 3ft. to 6ft. North America, 1758. SYN 

 D. elatum. See Fig. 632. (B. M. 1791.) 



