RANUNCULACE^E. XXIX. ACONITUM. 



55 



inst. 1. p. 424. t. 239 and 240. Lin. gen. no. 682. D. C. syst. 1. 

 p. 364. prod. 1. p. 56. Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 1 15. Rchb. Uebers. 

 p. 13. illus. gen. Aeon, atque. Delp. 



LIN. SYST. Polydndria, Tri-Pentagynia. Calyx of 5 petal-like, 

 irregular, deciduous or marcescent sepals, with the upper sepal 

 concave and helmet-shaped. Petals 2 (or hollow nectaries), 

 hidden within the helmet, on long stalks, expanded into a hollow 

 inverted tube at the apex, drawn out at the ends into a spur, 

 which is either straight, hooked, or twisted. Herbaceous peren- 

 nial herbs, with tuberous, fibrous Or napiform roots, and palmate- 

 parted leaves, with the partitions deeply toothed or multifid. 

 Racemes terminal, with 1 -flowered pedicels rising from the axils 

 of the bracteas, each furnished with two bracteoles. Flowers 

 large, irregular, yellow, cream-coloured, blue or white, or mixed 

 with these colours. The species are all poisonous ; the root 

 is the most powerful part. 



This genus is called in English Monks-hood and Wolfs-bane ; 

 the former from the shape of the flower ; the latter from the poi- 

 sonous quality of the plants. 



SECT. I. ANTHOROIDEA (applied to this section because the 

 plants it contains agree with A. Anthora, a syncope of Anti-thorn, 

 that is to say, counter-poison.) Rchb. uebers. .p. 13. Sect. 1. 

 Anthora, D. C. syst. 1. p. 364. Calyx permanent. Petals (nec- 

 taries) supine, somewhat hooked, lip obcordate, tapering into 

 the pedicel. Stamens smoothish. Capsules 5, erect. Helmet 

 arched. Flowers Cream-coloured, sometimes variegated with 

 blue. Leaves palmately cut into linear lobes. Roots napiform. 



1 A. ANTHOKA (Lin. spec. 751. Rchb. ill. t. 59.) spur refract- 

 ed ; germens equally pubescent. "Jf.. H. Native of the Pyrenees, 

 Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, &c. A ochroleucum, Salisb. Lob. 

 Stirp. ed. 1576. p. 385. Clus. hist. V. p. 98. Barrel, icon. 609, 

 &c. Flowers pale yellow. This species was formerly made 

 use of in medicine, and recommended as an antidote to the 

 poisonous species : whence by some writers it is called Anthora 

 and Antithora, the poisonous ones having been named Thora. 

 The taste of the root is sweet, with a mixture of bitterness and 

 acrimony. The smell is pleasant. It purges vehemently when 

 fresh, but loses its qualities when dried ; it is disused in the 

 present practice ; and is certainly poisonous, but perhaps in a 

 less degree than those of the other sections. Haller regards it 

 as one of the most dangerous. 



Var. ft, grandiflbrum (Rchb. uebers. p. 15. aeon. p. 63. t. 

 1. f. B.) panicle flowers and fruit pubescent; flowers yellow, 

 large ; helmet rather conical. "%. . H. Native of the Alps of 

 Jura, &c. 



Var. y, eulophum (Rchb. uebers. p. 15. aeon. p. 69. t. 5.) 

 panicles and flowers puberulous ; helmet conical ; flowers yel- 

 low. If,. H. Native of Caucasus and the Alps of Jura, &c. 



Var. B, Decandollii (Rchb. uebers. p. 16. aeon. p. 67. t. 3.) 

 panicle and flowers pubescent ; helmet rather conical, bent, with a 

 short, abrupt, and acuminated beak. Lobes of leaves rather broad, 

 and are as well as the stem dark green. I/ . H. Native of the 

 mountains of Gavarn and at Port Espagne in the Pyrenees. A. 

 Anthora ft, atrovirens, D. C. syst. 1. p. 366. Flowers yellow. 



Far. c, nemorbsum (Bieb. ex Rchb. uebers. p. 16. aeon. p. 71. 

 t. 6. f. *) panicle and flowers pubescent ; helmet somewhat co- 

 nical, bent, beak short. Lobes of leaves broad. Flowers yellow. 

 If. . H. Native of Siberia and Caucasus. A. tuberosum, Patrin, 

 A. Anthora c), latilobum, Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 131. 



Var. , glabriflbrum (Rchb. uebers. p. 15.) flowers smooth, 

 yellow. I/. H. Native of the Eastern Pyrenees in the valley 

 called d' Eynes. 



Var. K, Jacquinii (Rchb. uebers. p. 17. aeon. p. 65. t. 2.) 

 flowers smooth ; helmet somewhat conical, drawn out into an 

 elongated beak; flowers yellow. If,. H. Native of Austria 



and the Pyrenees. A. Anthora, Jacq. austr. t. 382. y, Jacquiu- 

 i&num, Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 131. 



Var. \, inclinatum (Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 131. t. 15. f. 2.) 

 panicle flowers and fruit pubescent ; helmet high, conical, with 

 an incumbent beak ; flowers yellow. If. . H. Native of the Alps 

 of Jura. 



Var. 0, multicucullatum (Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 132. t. 16.) 

 lateral petals cucullate ; lateral sepals helmet-shaped. If.. H. 

 Native of the Alps of Jura. 



Counter-poison Aconite. Fl. Ju. Aug. Clt. 1596. PI. 1 to 2 ft. 



2 A. PALL^ASII (Rchb. uebers. p. 18. aeon. p. 72. t. 6. f. A. 

 ill. t. 60.) spur continuous. If.. H. Native of Siberia. A. An- 

 thora, Pall. Bieb. Flowers yellow, and are as well as the fruit 

 pubescent. 



Pallas's Aconite. Fl. Ju. Aug. Clt. 1821. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



3 A. AHTHOROIDEUM (D. C. syst. 1. p. 366. Rchb. uebers. p. 

 19. aeon. p. 68. t. 4. ill. t. 61.) spur refracted ; germens bearded. 

 ^.H. Native of Siberia. A. Anthora, Bieb. ? Pall. ? Panicle 

 flowers and fruit pubescent. 



Var. ft, versicolor ; flowers smoothish, yellow variegated with 

 blue ; helmet low, rather conical. If.H. Native of Iberia. A. 

 Anthora, var. versicolor, Stev. ined. 



Anthora-like Aconite. Fl. Ju. Aug. Clt. 1821. PI. 1 to 2 ft. 



SECT. II. NAPELLOI'DEA (a name applied to this section on 

 account of the plants it contains agreeing in character with A. 

 Napellus, which is derived from napus, a turnip, on account of 

 the form of the roots, they having the appearance of little black 

 turnips.) Rchb. uebers. p. 13. Sect. IV. Napellus, D. C. syst. 1 . 

 p. 371. prod. 1. p. 62. Calyx deciduous. Petals (nectaries) 

 supine, obtuse or capitate, with a bifid lip. Stamens pilose. 

 Capsules usually 3 (rarely 2 to 7) young ones diverging. Pe- 

 duncles nodding. Helmet convex, hemispherical or arched (se- 

 micircular, rarely navicular, D. C.) Lobes of leaves cuneate, 

 bipinnate. Roots tuberous. Flowers blue, white, whitish-blue, 

 and yellowish-blue. 



Peduncles smooth. 



4 A. KOELLEA'NUM (Rchb. uebers. p. 19. aeon. t. 11. f. 1.) 

 spur blunt ; filaments smooth. If . H. Native of Switzerland 

 and Carinthia, &c. Rchb. ill. t. 72. A. Napellus, Wulfen. Koelle. 

 spicel. with a figure. A. manuale, Sieb. A. Tauricum, Hoppe. 

 pi. exsicc. A. Napellus, ft, spicatum, Ser. mus. 1. p. 154. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 62. Flowers disposed in loose spikes of a deep blue 

 colour ; bracteas short ; helmet semicircular. 



Var. ft, crassicaule (Rchb. uebers. p. 19.) stem thick. If. H. 

 Native of Switzerland and Carinthia. 



Var. y, pymce urn (Rc\ib. aeon. t. 21. f. 1.) flowers 3-8 in a 

 spike, deep blue. Leaves crowded. A. Napellus, pygmae v um, 

 Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 154. If.. H. Native of Switzerland. 



Koelle 's Aconite. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1 820. PI. 2 to 4 feet. 



5 A. TAURICUM (Wulf. in Jacq. coll. 2. p. 112. icon. rar. 3. 

 t. 49. Rchb. aeon. p. 87. t. 12. f. 2-3.) spur blunt; filaments 

 pilose ; helmet closed, hemispherical ; peduncles erect. If . H. 

 Native of Germany and Switzerland. Rchb. illus. t. 63. Koelle. 

 aeon. A. 'densiflorum, Hoppe. bot. Z. 1818. p. 142. A. Ise'tum, 

 Rchb. aeon. 89. 1. 13. f. 2. Koehleri, commutatum and plicatum, 

 Rchb. uebers. are hardly varieties of this species. A. Napellus ?r 

 leetum, Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 157. A. Napellus y, bracteosum, 

 Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 154. A. Napellus, Haenk. Koell. Clus. 

 hist. 2. p. 95. f. 2. Gerard, herb. 973. f. 6. Very like A. 

 Napellus, but the lateral sepals are smooth, not pilose inside. 

 Flowers deep blue, disposed in dense racemes. Segments of 

 leaves almost pedately disposed and divided into linear acumi- 

 nate lobes. 



1 



