210 



ACONITUM 



ACORUS 



parted, attractive; segms. much cut and divided: fls. 

 numerous, pale blue, panicled, pedicels pubescent; 

 helmets hemispherico-conical. Autumn. N. Amer. and 

 Asia. F.S.R. 1:214. R.B.33: 205 (as A. sinensis var. 

 bicolor). Var. Wflsonii (A. Wilsonii, Stapf), is a very 

 tall form, with violet fls. R.H. 1910, p. 223. Gn. W. 

 21:197. Gn. 64, p. 339. B.M. 7130 (as A. Fischeri). 



Cammarum, Linn. (A. decorum, Reichb. A. exalta- 

 tum, Bernh.). St. 3-4 ft.: Ivs. with short, bluntish lobes: 

 fls. purple or blue; panicles or loose spikes few-fld; 

 helmet hemispherical, closed. July-Sept. Hungary. 

 Intro. 1889. A. Storkianum, Reichb., is a dwarf form 

 of this, with fewer fls. and somewhat fibrous roots. 



uncinatum, Linn. WILD MONKSHOOD. Fig. 110. St. 

 slender, 3-5 ft., inclined to climb: Ivs. thick, deeply cut 

 into 3-5 cut-toothed lobes: fls. loosely panicled, but 

 crowded at the apex, blue, pubescent, 1 in. broad; hel- 

 met erect, nearly as broad as long, obtusely conical: 

 follicles 3. June-Sept. Low grounds of Pa., S. and W. 

 Japan. Mn. 4:81. Much planted now. 



BB. Lvs. divided to the base. 



variegatum, Linn. Erect, 1-6 ft.: Ivs. variously di- 

 vided into usually broad lobes and cut divisions; lower 

 petioles long, others short or none: fls. in a loose pani- 

 cle or raceme, blue, varying to whitish, rather smooth; 

 helmet higher than wide, top curved forward; visor 

 pointed, horizontal or ascending. July. 

 Eu. A. album, Ait., is a pure white-fld. 

 form of this, with rather fibrous roots. A. 

 volubile, var. latisectum, Hort., is a twin- 

 ing form of A. variegatum. The plants are 

 allowed to rabble naturally or to climb 

 on arbors; height 8 ft. Var. tennisectum, 

 Hort. Sts. slender though not twining: 

 large blue fls. Manchuria. 



AA. Roots long-tuberous. 



B. Carpels usually 5. 

 japonicum, Decne. St. erect, 3-4 ft., 

 smooth: Ivs. dark green, shining, petioled; 

 lobes 2-3 times cut, the parts blunt and 

 deeply toothed: fls. large, deep blue or 

 violet, tinged with red, on loose panicles 

 with ascending branches; helmet conical; 

 beak abruptly pointed: follicles 5. July- 

 Sept. Japan. Intro. 1889. R.H. 1851, p. 

 475. Var. caeruleum, Hort. Fls. very 

 panicles shortened. 



BB. Carpels 8 or 4- 



Napellus,' Linn. (A. tauricum, Jacq. A. pyramidAle, 

 Mill. A. inunctum, Koch). TRUE 

 MONKSHOOD. OFFICINAL ACON- 

 ITE. Fig. 111. The best known 

 and most poisonous species, and 

 used in medicine. Sts. erect, 3-4 

 ft.: Ivs. divided to the base, and 

 cleft 2-3 times into linear lobes: 

 fls. blue, in a raceme; peduncles 

 erect, pubescent; helmet broad 

 and low, gaping, smoothish: fr. 

 3-4-celled. June, July. Gn. M. 

 4:34. R.V. 8:2. Gn. 12, p. 362. 

 Very many varieties, differing in 

 shade of fls., often mottled or 

 lined with white. Var. album is 

 nearly white. Var. bicolor and 

 var. versicolor, much used 

 in gardens for the large blue 

 and white fls. Reichenbach 

 has divided this species into 

 20-30 species. A. HdUeri 

 is one of his divisions ap- 



111. Aconitum Napellus. P??8 in catalogues. B.M. 



" C 2 (as var. Emmcus). 



AAA. Roots in the form of a scaly, elongated bulb, 

 or somewhat fibrous. 

 B. Sepals deciduous. 



autumnale, Reichb. AUTUMN ACONITE. Fig. 112. St. 

 3-5 ft.: Ivs. pedately 5-lobed: fls. in a simple spike, 

 becoming a panicle, blue, lilac, or whitish; helmet 

 closed. Sept.-Nov. N. China. 



Lyc6ctonum, Linn, (A. liarba- 

 tum, Patr. A. squarrosum. A. 

 ochroleiiciiin, \Villd.). PALE YEL- 

 LOW WOLFSBANE. St. slender, 

 simple, 3-6 ft.: Ivs. deeply cut 

 ,1, into 5-9 lobes; long petioles and 

 under ribs pubescent: fls. yellow 

 /; "\ or whitish, in racemes; helmet a 

 \ pinched elongated cone; middle 

 ^^ sepals usually bearded: fr. usually 

 3-celled. June-Sept. Eu., Siberia. 

 B.M. 2570. G.M. 34:124. 



BB. Sepals persistent. 

 Anthdra, Linn. (A. pyrenaii-nm, 

 Pall.). St. 1-2 ft.: Ivs. parted 

 almost to the base, parts deeply 

 cut and lobed, more or less hispid 

 beneath, smoothish above; peti- 

 oles long: fls. in lateral and termi- 

 nal racemes, pale yellow, often 

 large; racemes or panicles gener- 

 ally pubescent; spur bent back or 

 hooked; helmet arched, but cylin- 

 drical at base: follicles 5. June, 

 July. S. Eu. B.M. 2654. Var. 



aureum, Hort., and several 



other varieties. 



A. chinense, Sieb. Deep blue 

 spike of fls. from the axil of every 

 If.: foliage bold and haml-nrnc. 

 B.M. 3852. P.M. 5:3. A. ddphini- 

 '"-' n, DC. Allied to A. Napel- 

 A. gymndndrum, Maxim., is 

 a good species. B.M. 8113. A. 

 l, E. Pritz. Sts. twinin 



110. Aconitum 

 uncinatum. ( x 



abundant; 



folium, DC. Allied to A. Napel- 

 lus. A. gymndndnn 

 a good species. B.i 



Hemsleyanum, E. Pritz. Sts. twining and ram- 

 bling. China. R.B. 33, p. 328. G. 32:39. A. 

 heterophyllum, Wall. Fls. yellow and violet. Used 

 as a tonic medicine in India. B.M. 6092. A. 

 noveboracense, Gray. Probably=A. paniculatum. 

 A. paniculatum, Lam. (A. toxicum, Reichli.). 

 Has blue fls. L.B.C. 9:810. A. jiuramidfde, 

 Mill. Form of A. Napellus. A. recliiiutitm, 

 Gray, of the Alleghanies, with white fls. and 

 large Ivs., is worth cult. A. scapdsuni var. 

 middle, Franch. Lvs. broadly 5-lobed: fls. very numerous, 

 . in. long, heliotrope, greenish yellow at the throat. Cent. China. 

 A. septentrionale var. carpdticum, Sims, is a beautiful purple 

 kind closely related to A. Lycoctonum. B.M. 2196. A. Stork- 

 ianum, Hort., may be a form of A. variegatum. with the Ivs. so 

 much cut up as to give a pinnate form. A. tortuosum, \Villd. Once 

 listed in the trade; not now found. j^ Q D\VIS. 



ACORUS (ancient name of unknown meaning). 

 Aracese. Hardy, herbaceous water-loving plants. Lvs. 

 sword-shaped, erect: spadix appearing lateral, with no 

 true spathe; fls. inconspicuous. They thrive best in 

 moist soil, and may be grown in shallow water or on dry 

 land. Prop, easily in spring or autumn by division. 



Calamus, Linn. SWEET FLAG. Height 2 ft.: root- 

 stock horizontal, pungent, aromatic: fls. early summer. 

 N. Amer., Eu. V. 2:198. Var. variegatus, Hort. Lvs. 

 striped deep yellow when young, fading to a paler color 

 later in summer. Eu. Commoner in cult, than the 

 type. 



gramlneus, Soland. Height 8-12 in. Much smaller 

 than A. Calamus, forming compact, grassy tufts. 

 Japan. Var. variegatus, Hort. Lvs. striped white. 

 Used in hanging-baskets, vases, rockeries and for cut- 

 ting. Often grown indoors. 



A. japonicus argenteo-striatus, Hort., and A. jap6nicus ffilia 

 variegatus, Hort., are catalogue names, and are referable, from de- 

 scription, to A. gramineus, Soland. var. variegatus, Hort. 



GEORGE V. NASH.! 



